Back at the Cabin
by butterfly collective
Summary: Matt and C.J. travel to his cabin in the mountains while he's recovering from injuries he suffered. Is there enough room for the both of them?
1. Chapter 1

Another writing exercise which turned into, well I don't know, some writing. Not sure what to do with this one, lol. I wrote it a while back when I was hit with vertigo. I did a few back then.

But anyway, hope you enjoy reading it and thanks for reading and the feedback.

* * *

She watched him head down the narrow trail into the canyon and her heart ached for him.

Matt had walked away from her, his shoulders back portraying the confidence behind his strength. Only her sharp eyes that knew him so well noted the slight limp remaining in his stride as he headed down the trail. She knew that deep inside he hid a well of frustration that had built up since being injured during another fruitless expedition to search for his missing cousin. Hopefully the exercise helped dissipate its edge at least for a little while.

He had gotten up this morning even before the sun and gotten dressed to go on his daily hike up and down the canyon near the cabin to rebuild his endurance and strength. She had been in the kitchen when he entered to eat a light breakfast and she had tossed him a water bottle as he prepared to leave. They never said much to each other, content to allow the silence to lapse between them that early in the day.

Then they both headed outside into the brisk air which had just begun to soak up the warmth of the rising sun which lit through the trees surrounding the cabin. Matt flashed her a look of uncertainty as he did every morning.

"I don't know if I feel up to this today," he said, "Maybe I should take it easy instead."

She put her hands on her hips.

"Get your ass out of here," she said, "and I don't want to see it again until you're done."

He gave her a funny look.

"Where'd you learn to talk like that?"

She didn't budge.

"I picked up some here, some there," she said, "Mostly from you."

He didn't remember that part but the way she looked at him…not much room for argument this morning.

"Houston…get a move on," she said, "and I want you to make double time today."

He glared at her.

"I'm feeling stiff from yesterday's hike…"

She still didn't appear moved.

"Okay when you get back, call up your ex-girlfriend the masseuse," she said, "Wasn't Crystal her name or was it Stacy?"

"Actually it was Tina and she moved to Amsterdam."

"Then I'm sure you can find someone to call as backup from that little black book," she said, "Now no more excuses, the sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish."

He looked at her as if he were going to say something but her own expression stopped him. She waved her hand.

"Get going," she said, "I'll see you later and you can yell at me then."

With that, he started on his hike with nary a grumble. As she watched him go, she thought not for the first time how life could turn on a dime and that had been what had happened to Matt after he received the mysterious phone call about a possible sighting involving his cousin. Life could really be so damn unfair sometimes. Not that she needed any reminder but to watch what Matt had been going through had been really tough.

* * *

It had started before Houston Enterprises had been ready to go public after finally becoming the success both hoped it would be. He had been finalizing the latest batch of quarterly reports to present to his board members when the phone call had come that a man resembling Will had been spotted in a camp of drug smugglers in a South American country. Of course, Matt had dropped everything, grabbed his passport and used whatever connection he had to break through the red tape to go search for him.

But he ran into trouble instead as he discovered too late that the phone call had been a ruse to get him down to Bolivia in a bizarre kidnapping and ransom scheme to time with his company's expansion. He eluded the attempt but experienced serious injuries in his escape and pursuit of the kidnappers.

After being released from his second hospital where he had lain cooped up for two weeks, he had gone home to begin physical therapy which took another month. While the hard work strengthened his body, it left him frustrated and spent and so he took off to hole up in the cabin he had purchased up in the mountains. His father had watched his son's frustration build up inside him and so had asked C.J. to go with him and keep an eye on him.

C.J. had no problems with that and invited herself along even though Matt had tried to veto that plan. He had lashed out at her during his therapy insisting that he wanted to do things his own way and she had survived that without any scars. She knew that underneath his need to push everyone away, lay fear that he would never get his life back even though he would never admit the truth even to himself let alone anyone else. Bill had watched his struggles and hadn't known how to talk to his own son and knew that C.J. had understood why.

She understood that feeling herself very well having been there and having no one even to bother her about it. Matt had been playing the football star and serving in the military and she had been doing the sorority thing and studying in law school and by the time they had really connected again, they had both been focused on forging their lives in new and exciting directions and she had put it away in the past. He was starting his business while she flirted with criminal law before giving that up to work for him. Everything had been going very well and smooth as silk until the incident leading up to his injuries which had forced him to reevaluate his life which had come to a grinding halt. For the man who success had come so easily for, he found himself at a loss.

Matt never showed that more difficult side to anyone but her. For everyone else, he acted the same as he always had, fun loving and with a sense of humor about his new shortcomings. While deep inside beneath the jokes and the passes at the nurses, he feared they might be permanent.

C.J. didn't believe that for a second. He had made great strides since he had first been beset by dizzy spells and weakness in one of his legs after the man he had been chasing had pushed him off a cliff. If some foliage hadn't broken his fall, he'd be dead. But as it was, Matt often wished that if he weren't dead that he would have found his cousin safe and well. He felt that failure intensely and C.J. knew that he needed to come to terms with that in his own way.

While in physical therapy, Murray had haunted the hospital with paperwork for him to sign and decisions about Houston Enterprises that needed his input and C.J. silently thanked him for his persistence. Anything necessary to get Matt's mind off of his time spent from his fledgling investigative agency that had been in limbo since he'd been in the hospital. Yes, Murray in his own uncomplicated way had become a godsend. Until he had brought up Grant Sullivan one day while visiting Matt. She hadn't heard his name in years. Since…

C.J. pushed him out of her mind and focused on Matt's disappearing form as he headed down carrying only a water bottle into the abyss that lay to the east of his mountain cabin. A lake bordered most of the structure which was somewhat larger than a cabin which sat on a group of rocks jutting on the shore. Matt spent most of his afternoons after his daily hikes into the canyon sitting on shore with his fishing line breaking the surface of the smooth waters. More often than not, he had caught enough trout to fry up for dinner which they ate on the front deck, looking out at the lake and how the reflection of the moonlight cast a glow across its surface, while its undercurrent remained dark. During dinner, they would make polite chatter keeping certain topics at bay until they turned in for the night.

No doubt he would return to the edge of the lake today but first he had to finish his hike. She had felt tempted several times to ask him if she could join him but she knew he needed the time to spend alone. She used their time apart to do her own thinking and today, she decided to spend it doing some gardening. A line of fledgling trees had been planted so far, all during the time that Matt had spent hiking in the canyon. In a decade or so, they would grow and branch out enough to become impressive shade trees for visitors to enjoy.

She knelt in the dirt and finished a hole she had begun the day before, with a small spade. The water barrel remained nearby to help dampen the dirt to nourish the roots of the new plant. Matt had helped her plant some of the older trees. They had done it side by side when he had brought her up here after they had moved to L.A. and not long after her first relationship with a lawyer had gone bust. She had been drowning her sorrows in some Scotch when he called her up and asked her if she wanted to go to his cabin and help him with a landscaping project. She thought he had been crazy given that his cabin sat in the middle of a forest which by definition already had enough trees. Why plant more? He kept at her and the exuberance in his voice was contagious not to mention a few other things about him that she kept to herself. There were a few secrets she kept from her best friend.

But she had finally given in to his request and returned with him and together they had started the tradition of planting new trees each summer. Now she returned to the cabin any chance she had to get away from the city. And here within the quiet tranquility of her surroundings, she found balance to her more chaotic urban life.

She hoped that it would help him through the chaos that had grabbed hold of the world he knew and shaken it apart. Anything to bring him out of the abyss that he had been sliding into since he returned home from the hospital.

She hoped to forget some memories of her own that lingered uninvited.

* * *

Matt cursed as he walked, no struggled up each switchback in turn. His injured leg no longer throbbed with each step but he still felt some waves of dizziness hit him from his inner ear injury. The doctors had told him it would heal in time and the worst of it had but it still affected him and essentially grounded him from doing investigative work or anything remotely hazardous. As he hiked, he saw signs of wildlife in the arid surroundings, including squirrels and lizards resting on the rocks as he passed by. While the surrounding area was flush with greenery, replenished by the generous stream which flowed into the lake, this area appeared starved, and the only water was a thin trickle this time of year that etched its way through the rocky faces. The sun blazed down on him and he wiped his forehead to rid himself of the sweat that pooled there.

When the dizziness hit him, he learned to stop for a moment until it passed. It gave him opportunity for a little rest and to sip from his water bottle to avoid dehydration. Each day he had been able to walk longer without stopping but not to run as he had often did before his injuries. But he knew he had to focus on the here and now and what was or what lie ahead or he would go crazy. He reached the bottom of the canyon where the water burbled through the rocks and did some stretches to prevent his muscles from tightening before the trip back up. He had been hitting the gym including some heavier weights and he took off his tee-shirt and dipped it in the water to rub over his muscular arms.

He thought about C.J. sitting back closer to the cabin in a chair sipping iced tea while he suffered in the heat down in this hellhole. But then he knew that she had just been trying to help him get his bearings in his life back. She just needed to understand that he didn't need or want anyone's help right now. Although it might sound mean, he hadn't wanted her to come with him to the cabin. To see him like this and then to act like a drill sergeant every day, reminding him of his days back in basic training with…Will back when they had been younger and had their whole lives ahead of them…or so they thought.

It hadn't turned out that way for Will.

But Matt still had his own life to live and that meant ensuring that his quickly expanding corporation became a national and then global conglomerate. That's what Will would have wanted him to do with his life and when he first lost his cousin, that's what he had done with the vigor possessed by both men. C.J. had assisted him greatly in increasing its earning power and expansion, coming on board as the newest of his team of crack attorneys and then quickly enough working her way up to the top of the pack. She had changed a lot since he had last seen her when she finished college and had won a scholarship to Harvard's prestigious law school. She had never been one to let anyone get in her way including him. He had thrown everything he could think of to test her and she had met every challenge he provided head on and successfully. They had gotten along well enough and their friendship had deepened but she kept a part of herself separate from her professional relationship with him. And that had been her personal life, the part of it that he had missed. Not that they didn't socialize together especially after an especially grueling day at the office but she spent time on her own as well. She often listened to his stories of attending this gala and that charity event often with a woman on his arm but she didn't talk much about herself.

Not even when they had arrived to the cabin earlier in the week. He had made her life difficult he knew that but he really hadn't wanted her to join him. He had just wanted to spend some quiet time drinking mostly whatever sat in the liquor cabinet. Anything to get away from thinking about the life he had left in L.A., the life he hadn't been sure he could return to as he had before receiving that crazy phone call about Will.

If he had to do it all over again…he would have still gone down to South America to try to do the impossible to reunite with someone who most likely was rotting in an unmarked grave on some foreign soil. His uncle Roy had come to terms with it, so had his father, why couldn't he move forward?

Because he knew it had been his fault, he realized now. He had plenty of time lying flat on his back to think about it after pushing everyone else away. When he hadn't been flirting with the nurses to hide his own feelings, he had ruminated over what had happened the last time he saw his cousin over and over again, like a home movie in his mind that wouldn't stop playing. It still hadn't even though he now spent his days moving about and trying to return to some semblance of a normal routine.

He gazed up at the sun and squinted, noting that it had climbed higher in the sky since he had been down here doing nothing but remembering.

* * *

The morning that C.J. had first reported to work at his office after having been hired while he had been on a business trip in Tokyo. Murray who hadn't been working at the company that long himself did the interviewing along with his senior vice president and they had both been impressed by the time she had finished and walked on out of there. In fact, his accountant wouldn't stop talking about her and Matt wondered if he had fallen in love with the lady lawyer. And when she had first walked into his office in her business suit and heels, he had seen why.

He had never been physically attracted to his best friend while they grew up in Texas but his breath had stopped somewhere in his throat when he looked into her saucy hazel eyes and at the smile that curved her full lips. When had that happened, he marveled remembering back to the bookish woman he had grown up with who had worked alongside the men on the ranch but then retreated to her room to spend hours reading. He idly thought about whether he should mix business and pleasure with her but then snapped his mind out of that and said, he needed her intellect and legal skills for his company and everything else would remain hands off. After all, for all he knew she had a boyfriend and after all, he had his usual string of girlfriends. And why mess up a great thing with the woman he knew would someday be his business partner? His mind still flirted outside those boundaries including on that first day when she had stood in his office but she didn't appear to notice.

"What do you want me to do first," she had asked all business.

He had sputtered, sitting up straight in his seat, getting his boots off his desk and on the floor. If she noticed his unease, she didn't act it. She just looked around the room slowly taking everything in and clearly liked it. In fact, she paid more attention to her surroundings including the photos of him on the wall than she had to him.

"You can start with the Callahan account."

She just nodded him, betraying only a trace of a smile.

"I'll have it done and on your desk by the end of the day," she said, turning to leave.

"Wait a minute," he said, "Aren't you going to say anything? We haven't seen each other in a while. Maybe we could have lunch together."

She looked up at him, sizing him up with those penetrating eyes nearly causing him to blush. Him, the man who had a reputation of being the catch of all of L.A. but still preferred playing to settling down with one woman. Let alone a woman who at that moment appeared to look inside of him.

"I'll have my assistant give your assistant a call and we can set something up," she said.

His jaw dropped and at that point, she winked at him.

"See you around the office, cowboy."

And with the click of those heels accentuating a pair of shapely legs, she had left.

* * *

Matt sighed at the memory and at the fact that even several years later, there were still things about his best friend since childhood that he didn't know. Even though they had socialized with each other more not to mention spent hours on his Lear Jet together traveling around the globe acquiring more companies to add to his growing empire. He knew she had several relationships with men, mostly those who in the legal field but they didn't seem to last very long. Like him, she spent so many hours and days traveling and working to have much time for a personal life. And yes, sometimes he had been tempted, he was a guy after all but they had stuck to the boundaries of a comfortable working relationship which grew from their more natural friendship.

Matt looked up the canyon at the blue sky beckoning and headed back up the trail.

* * *

She took a break from planting a young tree to go back into the cabin and pour herself another glass of iced tea. Matt still hadn't returned but she knew he probably had started his climb back up the canyon. She knew that these daily hikes helped him more than just physically. At least that's what she hoped and she did see the lines on his face begin to fade and he smiled more just the way she liked it than he had when he had arrived. He had always been impressive to look at in a way that could knock a woman off of her feet if she weren't careful and C.J. kept her feet firmly planted on the ground. Oh no way, was she going to mess up the relationship with the most important person in her life. She didn't have any family left as they had died when she had been younger but she considered Matt and even his father as part of her family. But even though in a sense they shared Bill, she never thought of him in a sisterly sense. Not when she had been tempted sometimes to well…like just about every red blooded woman in L.A.

She called into her office phone for messages and saw that Grant had called her again. She closed her eyes briefly as she played the message but it was a rebuke from him for not returning his calls. As if nothing had happened back when they had both been in college. After graduating two years ahead of her, He had gone to get his MBA at Yale. After traveling around a bit, he had eventually come to L.A. to work in a rival business firm and Murray had been trying to lure him over to their side. Matt had been too distracted with his physical therapy to pay much attention but C.J. had hoped that Murray would just drop it. She had very little interest in ever setting eyes on Grant again. Time hadn't changed that.

As she sat down on the porch steps, she brushed her hair off of her face, past the scar that he had given her.

Matt reached the cabin and found C.J. sitting there reading a book, her brow knitted in concentration and her legs curled beneath her. He felt tired after his hike, but not worn out and he went past her into the kitchen to refresh his water bottle before he headed to take a shower.

The cascading water on his skin refreshed him and he grabbed a towel and went into his room to change, running smack in to C.J. She looked up at him, arching an eyebrow but his attention was drawn to the imprint of her hands on his bare chest. Too quickly, she removed them.

"I'm sorry Houston," she said, "I should really watch where I'm going."

"It's okay," he said, "No harm done."

She folded her arms.

"How'd your hike go?"

"It's over until tomorrow," he said, "but I'm ready for a nap."

She nodded.

"You do still need to get your rest."

His brow rose.

"Care to join me," he said, "There's plenty of room."

She rolled her eyes and just shook her head walking into the kitchen. Used to his innuendos which had been coming fast and furiously since they arrived here as he tried to get under her skin for inviting herself no doubt. But when he stood in the hallway dressed only in a towel around his waist, it could drive a worthy retort right out of a woman's head. She went to get herself some more iced tea before she went back to her book on the couch.

* * *

Matt napped not too long after settling on his bed and fell into an easy sleep, his exercise having caught up with him. But soon after, the memories of South American emerged in his dreams. Of him running through the jungle which grabbed him at every turn, while the footing beneath him turned to slippery mud. In front of him, he would see his face, but he could never reach it. With each of his own steps, Will slipped further away. He tried to follow him and then…sunlight hit him in the face and he stood in a clearing in the middle of a war zone, with soldiers advancing on both sides. He couldn't see Will but instead saw a man aiming a machine gun at him.

"No….," he yelled at him.

He woke up drenched in sweat and saw that C.J. had clearly dropped whatever it had been she was doing and raced inside the room to check up on him. Without thinking, he reached for her and she wrapped him up in her own arms and held him close. His heart thudding against her chest.

"It's okay…"

He listened to her speaking and finally heard her soft voice with its Texan twang that matched his own. Pulling away finally, she felt him try to slow his breathing down.

"I'm fine now," he said, "It was just a dream."

C.J. blew some hair out of her face.

"Houston you've had quite a few of these…dreams."

"At least I'm getting some sleep…"

She looked at him suddenly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you've been keeping some pretty late hours counselor," he noted, "Considering you're supposed to be on vacation."

She rubbed her forehead.

"I brought some work with me."

"You were sent to babysit me by my father," he said.

She didn't deny it.

"He's been worried about you," she said, "and so have been a lot of people."

"There's no need for that," he said.

Her eyes flashed at him.

"You don't get to decide that."

He folded his arms.

"I think that I do."

She just looked at him and sighed.

"Houston, you need your family and your friends," she said, "but you've made it so difficult for them that I…"

"You drew the short straw to come keep an eye on me," he finished.

He saw what looked like anger in her eyes now but at the moment, he didn't care.

"I didn't get any short straw," she said, "I'm doing this because your father asked me because he's worried about you. He loves you; you know even when you're being an ass."

Matt knew that about his father but he also knew that his own brother, Roy no longer had a son. Both men seemed to feel Will's loss more keenly than Roy but only because Roy's career as a covert operative for some unnamed agency trained him well in never displaying his emotions lest he be seen as being vulnerable. Showing that in the business world was a mistake but in that inhabited by Roy, it could be lethal.

"He's got a strange way of showing it," Matt said, "And why are you here, shouldn't you be out with Murray trying to get that Sullivan guy to do business with my company? Wining and dining him or something."

Then he saw her face change and her eyes harden.

"Go to Hell Houston…"

And his jaw dropped as she walked on out of his bedroom without looking back.

He had been left speechless by her own words to him. In all the years that he had known her, she had never told him to…go someplace hot like that. Looking at the now empty doorway and still feeling a trace of the imprint her body had left against his own, he wondered what it was that he had said that had made her so angry…no, not really angry just cold. So unlike her, because even when she irked him, there never was anything cold and even distant about her because after all, she was a passionate and in your face person and had been as long as he'd known her.

Shaking his head at what had just happened, he decided he had rested enough and it was time to go the lake and do some fishing. He did his best thinking when he had a fishing rod in his hand and a beautiful body of water in front of him.

* * *

C.J. had left his bedroom upset at his comments but then quickly realized that Matt had stepped on a landmine without realizing it. A pang of guilt filled her and she pushed it back because really he had been acting like a jerk. She had decided to go for a walk to rein in her emotions so that she could go back and try to make peace with him. After all, they were sharing the cabin which though more like a small house, still could become awfully cramped if they let their argument stand between them.

As she packed herself something to snack on, she didn't hear any sign that Matt had left his bedroom and she wondered if he had fallen back asleep. He still had been prone to fatiguing after his injuries and both Bill and she had tried to make sure that he got enough rest. She shook her head wondering if she were ever going to be any good at taking her own advice. After all she had been so busy working and reading when she came here that sleep had eluded her. But she knew that hadn't been the real reason, no matter how many times she had told herself so.

She opened up the back door off the kitchen and headed out down the faint dirt path to the lake. The sun still baked the air around her and she felt insects buzzing around her face and sweat bead on the back of her neck. But the air smelled of fresh flowers and the breeze carried a hint of the sea which she inhaled deeply as she walked. Her stress slipped off of her shoulders as it always did when she spent time out in natural surroundings. She hoped the same would be true for Matt.

Her cell phone rung and she picked it up, seeing it had been Julia. Her friend had been deathly ill when they had been in law school but after treatment, she had been in remission for several years and worked in her father's business.

"What's up," Julia said immediately.

C.J. looked around her.

"Not much," she said, "I've been up at the cabin with Houston the past week."

"Ooooooh."

C.J. felt like rolling her eyes.

"Julia, you know it's nothing like that," she said, "I'm just here to make sure he's recovering from his injuries."

"I'm so sorry it didn't work out for him," Julia said, "That he didn't find Will."

C.J. paused.

"He feels really guilty about Will, just like he did when he was first killed," she said, "I don't know how to help him."

"You can't C.J.," Julia said, "You know he has to figure out the answers to moving forward on his own."

C.J. knew her friend was right but it was so hard because she hated seeing him like he had been since he got out of the hospital.

"I know, but it's easier said than done," she said, "And I have to be strict with him and that's hard to, but he gets really frustrated."

"I know how he feels," Julia said, "When you're young, you think you can do anything, that you're invisible and that can change one moment to the next."

Just like it had for Julia when she had received her cancer diagnosis and had to face death in the eye at 22. But she had won, at least the first round and had moved on with her life. And today, she was trying to micromanage C.J.'s social life.

"Things happen… and you put them behind you and move on."

"Not everyone's as good at it as you are," Julia pointed out.

C.J. sighed.

"I'm not saying that it's easy," she said, "He's not making it easy."

"You mean Matt?"

"No…no… I mean Murray wants me to help him steal away Grant from a rival business company."

Julia grew silent for a moment.

"You don't mean Grant Sullivan?"

"The same," C.J. said, "He relocated to L.A."

"You mean you didn't tell them…," Julia said, "Of course you didn't."

"I just wish he had stayed away."

Julia sighed.

"I think we both know better than that."

C.J. closed her eyes, knowing her friend was right.

* * *

When Matt arrived with his fishing equipment at the lake, he realized he wouldn't be there alone. C.J. sat under a tree reading her book. It must be something great because she had been at it for the past couple of days. She heard him coming because she looked up as he approached.

"Oh you're here…"

She arched a brow and put down her book.

"Is that a problem for you?"

He shook his head.

"I'm just here to do some fishing."

She smiled.

"That's great," she said, "The fish last night was delicious by the way."

He looked pleased and she reached for her book again.

"Look C.J. I'm sorry that I snapped at you this morning," he started.

"I believe I'm the one that told you where to go."

"Yes you were," Matt said, "But I think I deserved it for earlier but I don't know what I said that set you off."

She looked down at her book and he thought she was dismissing him, until she looked up again.

"Look Houston," she said, "It's nothing that you said and I shouldn't have let you believe that, it's just that I just don't know what to do or say to you that doesn't get you upset with me."

He heard the trace of pain lacing the frustration in her voice and he felt guilty.

"That's never been my intention," he said, sitting down beside her, "I just…I just get scared sometimes that's all. Everything's changed so quickly and I can't do things the way I used to and I get frustrated and lash out."

He bent his head and she gazed sideways at him.

"I know it's hard…no maybe not the same way that you do," she said, "but you're getting better each day and the doctors say…"

He cut her off.

"I know what they've told me C.J. but I know what I feel too and I feel for the first time in my life, I've got limitations, boundaries in what I can do that I keep crashing into and I…just don't know what to do."

She struggled to find the words he so desperately needed right now.

"You just…you just keep trying," she said, "or you find another way to go around them to get where you want to be."

She made it sound so easy and the tone of her voice told him of her immense faith in his abilities to come through this ordeal an even better and stronger man. He leaned against her, now physically as he had emotionally and she gave way, placing her arm around his waist, sharing her tree with him.

And his closeness to her fed him some of her strength which she shared freely.

"Houston if you want me to leave, all you have to do is say…"

He looked at her and this time he reached his fingers to carress her hair back off of her face.

"No don't," he said, "I want you to stay and I promise I'll be nicer…even when you're kicking my ass to get up early in the morning and do those damned hikes."

"I've got my work all up here and it's been nice to get away from the city," she said, "So I guess we'll both stay up here a while and figure out what to do."

His brows knitted.

"I thought that Murray had you headhunting for Grant Sullivan…"

And in that second after those words left him, Matt knew something had changed. But this time, the storm passed quickly from her eyes and she just rubbed her forehead and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Let's not talk about business right now," she said.

He nodded in agreement because after all in the beautiful mountains and sitting by a lake waiting for fish to jump on a hook, there were plenty of things to do to keep busy.

"You need to catch us both dinner," she said.

"Only if you skin the fish and cook them," he countered, casting his line in the smooth lake.

She chuckled as they sat together by the waters as the sun shone overhead and C.J. felt that a bit of the heaviness on Matt's shoulders had lifted.

But where one struggle was ending, another had only just begun.


	2. Chapter 2

I wrote some more of this interesting thing that I had been working on. I hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the feedback.

* * *

Matt woke up with his fishing pole still in his hand and remembered that he had had a couple bites but had yet to reel one in. The sun had been hitting the lake, shimmering at its surface and he hadn't felt the sleepiness coming on, just the relaxation. He looked over and saw her curled up on the grass beside him, beneath the shade of the tree. Her hair had fanned over her face and her head rested on her hands, her book lying aside her.

He knew that she had been tired because she kept much later hours than he had since their arrival.  
But she looked fairly peaceful now in her slumber so he didn't want to disturb her. Her face bore no lines save a scar just above her eye that wove into her brow and her lips remained closed.

Turning away from her, he cast his rod back in the lake because after all, he had promised her fish and he liked to deliver on his promises. The lake looked undisturbed but he knew it served as home to plenty of trout. Fishing relaxed him in ways that few other activities did and it was one of the pastimes he had shared with his father when he had been a little boy. His father had been a busy man running his own conglomerate and his endless list of responsibilities including traveling around the globe and to often be absent during holiday celebrations and even his own son's birthday. But their fishing trips helped mend the rifts which arose between them due to the demands of his father's life work.

C.J. and he had also fished in the river that ran through both of their ranches not long after they met when she moved in with a relative who owned a neighboring ranch. They had spent a lot of time together while they grew up until they had gone to their separate colleges, he to Rice University and she to UC Berkeley. Then there had been law school for her and military service to them and the distance had kept them apart in more ways than just physically. It hadn't been until she had remembered his job offer that he had dangled at her in his company that she had returned into his life.

The fishing line tugged suddenly.

C.J. had drifted off to sleep while reading her book. Well actually when she had been sitting next to Matt who had been trying to fish. She had been trying to make him feel better and he had accepted her embrace, and it had felt good to have him leaning on her. Like she had been able to help him when he had needed her. She hated being so tough on him but instinct told her that's what he really needed from her.

She had been so tired but even so the fatigue had just slipped up on her pulling her in its embrace and with him nearby, she relaxed into it.

But with sleep comes dreaming.

She found herself inside what looked like an apartment, what looked like the one she had shared with Julia one of her sorority sisters in college. Julia had done most of the decorating but C.J. had added a touch here and there to remind her of home back on the ranch. She had just come back from a night spent studying with some of her other sisters at the main house. Then she, Maureen and Carol had hit the diner for some sustenance before returning to their respective domiciles.

When she turned the lock into her apartment, it had turned too easily but she pushed the door forward into darkness. But even before she flipped the light switch, she saw him standing haloed by the moonlight coming through the window.

Then she woke up with a start. She maneuvered her way onto her side and then looked around her, feeling the thudding of her heart. Matt stood next to her trying to wrestle with the fishing line which meant that he had caught something. She watched him suddenly reel something in and it looked like a good-sized trout. He looked back at her quite proud of himself.

"Looks like a two-pounder," he said.

She snorted.

"Don't you start with the fish tales already."

He knelt to remove the fish from the hook which he did deftly enough and he packed it in the fish basket.

"How many you got there," she asked.

"Two…one for me and one for…someone."

She played along.

"And do you have anyone in mind," she said, "Anyone from your illustrious black book?"

He sighed.

"C.J. I don't have this black book you and the social columnists and…I don't have one period."

She tilted her head doubtfully.

"Then what do you have photographic recall," she said, "Because I don't know how you keep them all straight and keep them from bumping into each other."

He looked sheepish.

"It's not always easy…"

She chuckled.

"I'll bet."

"Well as it happens, I have an opening for dinner tonight so it's your lucky day Ms Parsons."

She just shook her head and got on her feet, brushing off her jeans.

"Oh so you think," she said, "Well I might have plans of my own."

His brow rose.

"Like what," he said, "We're both stuck with each other up in the mountains because we both promised my daddy that we'd stay up here for a while."

"I might decide to have my own dinner," she said, "I had a hankering for some steak actually and some…roasted potatoes with rosemary and…"

"Some of my special salad dressing with some salad…"

She folded her arms.

"That was Lamar's recipe," she said, "You got it out of him in a poker game."

He held up his hand, palm facing her.

"I won fair and square," he said, "Plus I always know when he's bluffing."

She nodded, thinking that Lamar's face was pretty readable most of the time. But she liked rankling her best friend. He changed the subject.

"I saw you sleeping on the job…"

She looked at him innocently.

"You had a nap," she said, "Why can't I take a short one now and then?"

"No reason," he said, eying her carefully, "You don't sleep much at night."

She threw him a piercing look.

"How would you know," she said, "We're in different beds…in different rooms."

Damn he knew he'd been caught but he had peeked in her room more than once and had seen her settled there, intent in a book or some paperwork. And that was after spending long evenings whiling away beautiful nights on the couch doing the same chores. Tough to miss even when he'd been focused on his own problems.

"You just not liking to sleep," he asked, "How do you handle it when you've got men over?"

Oh, she wanted to throw her book at him for that comment. But she knew that would alert him that his casual question had unraveled her and she wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"Houston, I don't kiss and tell," she said, "You might want to think about that a while."

He shrugged.

"I guess I'll be heading back to the cabin," he said, "but remember our deal, I catch the fish, you skin them."

She nodded.

"Okay, just keep them cool until I return," she said, "I think I'm going to take a walk."

"Want some company?"

She looked at him, shaking her head.

"You had enough exercise this morning," she said, "the afternoons are your own."

He waggled his brow in his own special way.

"What about the nights?"

Oh, and she felt his gaze looking at her in a way that nearly made her blush. Of course, he didn't mean anything by it. He never did and she had that one coming, she had to admit. But she didn't feel that she was in the wrong for pushing him to do the morning hikes and besides, he already had gotten much stronger than he had been when he had arrived. He could complain all he wanted, view her as a drill sergeant but he couldn't deny that the hiking had been healing him in more ways than one.

"I'll see you later Houston…"

She walked off into the forest without looking back as he watched her go.

* * *

Matt headed back to deal with the fish. Even though he had teased C.J. about it, he planned to skin them himself as part of his penance for giving her such a hard time about coming to the cabin. Did he like what his father had assigned her to do behind his back, not really. But he knew she had accepted the assignment because she had cared about him.

He entered the cabin and went into the kitchen, thinking that he really shouldn't have made that crass comment about nights. It hadn't really gotten her hackles up as he thought it might but she had just looked at him and almost before she started to respond, she just closed that book deftly and left him in the wake of his own comments. Even though he hadn't meant anything by it, especially since they had been close friends since they had been younger, but only friends. Not that he hadn't been tempted because after all, who wouldn't? His friend had always been pretty but since she had come to work at his company, he noticed that she had grown into her looks and had become downright gorgeous. And though she had always been intelligent, the smartest kid in her class, she didn't throw it around at people…at least not mostly.

She had risen to the top of the pool of attorneys that he had hired and had quickly assumed herself as the leader of the pack even though they were mostly male. He had thoughts about making her a vice president pretty soon figuring that she had proven herself especially on the last several business trips with him to both Japan and South Korea.

His cell phone message indicator lit up. Murray had tried to call him earlier but he had been too busy fishing to care about business. He pushed in the office number.

"Murray look I'm busy here…"

"Oh Houston…yes I did call you earlier," Murray said, "but if we want to get…"

"You mean steal."

"Okay if we want to…steal Grant Sullivan, we have to get him while he's hot."

Matt sighed.

"Murray, we're not talking about pizza here," he said, "Just a financial whiz that's climbing every chart."

He heard Murray's excitement on the other end and chalked it up to needing to spend more time away from the office. He had read all about Grant in the trade journals and even a national publication or two but there were other financial consultants that had come fast and furious out of the Ivy Leagues and had been snapped up by a business firm or two before finding their perfect gig. His company could really use someone of Grant's caliber but hadn't Murray assigned…

The accountant beat him to the punch.

"C.J. was really supposed to be handling this," he muttered, "I don't know why she's dragging her feet."

Matt waited for a break in Murray's monologue.

"Listen Murray, I'm sure C.J.'s working on it. I mean she's not the kind of person to drag her feet on anything but she's brought a lot here from the office and it's been keeping her busy."

"We need this guy to work for us Houston," Murray continued, "He's a miracle man especially since we're going public in a month or two."

"Murray…he can wait a few days can't he," Matt said, "then I'm sure C.J. will get working on it. She's up here looking after me as a favor to my father."

A long pause greeted him.

"I guess that would be okay," he said, "but we really need to jump on this."

Matt listened to Murray continue talking for a moment and then said he had to hang up and go skin a fish.

"A what Houston?"

"You heard me a fish, two of them actually" Matt said, "Talk to you later."

* * *

C.J. walked through the forest, past one glen of trees, a smallish meadow and then another grove of what looked like Oak trees intermixed with several species of conifers. She still saw the outline of the large lake through a thread of trees and listened to small animals scurry in the brush ahead of her. She loved the area around Matt's cabin and was so glad that he had purchased it, feeling better than she had when she had first arrived.

Her brow knit as she thought back to her conversation with Bill about Matt and how worried he had been about his son. She had reassured him that Matt would find his way through this latest challenge thrown at him and come out better for it. Bill had smiled and had nodded his head, hoping for the best. C.J. had looked at the expression on his face and felt duty bound to do her part to bring it.

But that hadn't been the only reason she had accompanied her friend to the cabin, hadn't it? She reached into her pocket and pulled out the folded piece of paper that had yellowed with age and was nearly torn where the creases had crossed it from being opened and closed so many times. She couldn't help the circumstances that had led to that back then but it had spent several years untouched in her bureau drawer at home where she had kept most of her important papers, passports and such locked up.

Only recently had she revisited it again. When Murray had asked her to try to help him coax Grant into the fold or the team as Murray called it, at Houston Enterprises. She had tried to beg off of it but Murray wasn't anything if not one of the most persistent accountants on the planet. She had hoped by putting some miles and some forests between the two of them, that Murray would stop bothering her about it. But then she started getting phone calls from Grant about getting into touch with him to schedule a meeting but she hadn't returned him, so now the ones she picked up at the office had a rebuking tone to them, almost mocking as if he realized why she had been ignoring him.

Well of course he did, she thought.

A tree branch snapped behind her and she spun around to look. Nothing but the quiet of her natural surroundings greeted her and she put a hand on her chest. Everything had made her jump these days since he had started calling her. She looked at the paper and then folded it and returned it to her pocket and kept moving.

For her the remoteness of the mountains provided peace and relaxation but also security.

* * *

Matt's fish turned out great as it usually did and C.J. had arrived just in time to help him with the cooking. They had compromised and ate the fried fish along with the baked potatoes and rosemary that C.J. prepared. They didn't talk much as they both concentrated on their tasks in the kitchen but each realized the other's presence. She noticed that Matt looked better than he had earlier and she hoped that he had settled into the quiet routine here.

He looked at her and noticed how pretty she looked with her hair nestled around her shoulders and the tee-shirt she wore of an Eagles concert they had both attended when they had first arrived in L.A. She handled herself very well in the kitchen and a smile lit her face as she placed the sprigs of rosemary in her dish to give it an extra touch. Those fingers were probably talented at doing other things, he thought before reining himself in a bit. But Matt still had to grow accustomed to his social life slowing its pace a notch or two while he had been recuperating and rehabilitating. He didn't know how active C.J.'s personal life had been, the little she had, since she had started moving up in his company but she looked at ease in the mountain retreat…most of the time.

Still at times he saw the tension line her face and something besides lightness in her eyes. Some of it had to do with her concern over him but something else lived in her eyes as well. And he didn't know what it was or why he had just started noticing it. Of course he had been wrapped up in his own situation for a while now and had been oblivious to just about everything else around him. Something he intended to remedy now that he realized the impact that his attitude had taken on those who cared about him.

Including his best friend who stood over the stove putting the final touches on the meal they had both prepared.

"Do you have any wine left," she asked.

He looked in his storage place.

"A couple of bottles of that vintage we bought a while back," he said.

Oh yeah, on the trip to Monterey on business that thankfully included some time for recreation as well. But the wine had been delicious even if a couple of glasses of it made her a bit heady. Within these four walls, she felt she could handle that.

"I'll get the glasses," he offered.

* * *

Later, they sat on the deck and ate a delicious meal, in companionable silence. He glanced at her while they ate and saw her deep in thought. She chewed her food with deliberation but appeared to be elsewhere.

"Murray called…"

She looked up at him.

"I hope he didn't pile too much work on you."

Matt smiled.

"He's sounding like he's treading water at the office but he usually has everything under control by the time we return."

"That sounds like Murray," C.J. said, "but he's been bugging me about Grant Sullivan…"

Matt put his fork down.

"Yeah we were talking about that earlier."

She bit her lip and looked at him sideways.

"I'm sorry I didn't get on it right away but…"

He studied her carefully in a way that made her notice and feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Houston, I'll get to it right away if you want," she said, "He's called me a couple times at the office."

He remained silent for a moment.

"What's it about Sullivan that you aren't telling me?"

That question caught her by surprise, as did his town. Damn count on Matt to play the bloodhound with her. He should really think about going into investigation or something. He had set up his agency anyway, but the accident…well it had put that side of his life on hold for a while. She planted a smile on her face and speared a piece of potato with her fork.

"Houston, really it's no big deal."

"Did I say it was, I just am wondering if you knew him someplace else."

Actually she did, but that had been in the past. Ancient history or so she had thought. And as she had hoped. She chewed her food and then wiped her mouth with her napkin while Matt watched and waited.

"I asked you a question C.J."

Something flickered in her eyes then and she just shrugged.

"We went to Berkeley at the same time," she said, "Though he was several years ahead of me and in business."

"Okay so you went to school together."

She sighed.

"He pledged with a fraternity like I did with the sorority," she said, "We came into contact through social events."

"And…"

She fidgeted with her food.

"That's pretty much all I'm going to say about it Houston," she said, "We came here to relax, not talk about business."

"You came here to watch me."

She didn't argue with that but sipped her wine.

"I also came here to get away from the office for a while."

He leaned closer.

"But you spend most of your time doing the work you brought with you," he said, "So you're using your job as a means to block my questions and why is that?"

"I'm not doing any such thing."

She had closed a part of herself and he knew it. But he took a different tact.

"Look I'm thinking about hiring him on and if you know anything…"

She threw her napkin down and got up, gathering their empty dishes to rinse in the kitchen.

"Okay fine, if you want to hire him, you don't need my permission."

She left to go inside and he just sat there.

* * *

She washed and rinsed the dishes, allowing them to dry on the racks by the sink. Damn that man, she thought to herself, they couldn't even sit down to eat dinner without him trying to get information out of her. And about Grant Sullivan, from her college days. She could read on Matt's face that he was thinking about hiring the guy and she knew that his credentials and work experience put him at the top of the crop of financial analysts in the greater L.A. It wasn't her place to tell Matt what to do with his company and who to hire but if Grant did wind up at Houston Enterprises, then she didn't think she could still work there.

Matt dropped by the kitchen.

"Need any help?"

She just fired him a look.

"C.J. I'm sorry if I said anything to bother you but I'm not sure what it was that I said."

She sighed and put the dish rag down.

"It's not you…"

"I think I've heard this speech before."

That earned him a brief smile.

"Maybe you should turn in early," she said, "You had a long day."

His mouth twitched.

"Only if you come with me," he said, "Oh come on, think of the fun we could have…"

She caught his teasing tone and knew he was trying to cheer her up but seriously, one of these days, she was going to accept one of his flirtatious offers and then watch the expression on his face.

"Houston…"

"I know, I promised I would behave myself," he said, "That was just a slip."

"I'm sure it was."

He helped her put the dishes away once they had dried in the cabinets and the silverware in its proper place.

"Houston, you've bedded most of the young woman on the west side in just three years and I'm not interested in being number one thousand and one."

His brows rose.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration don't you think?"

Okay maybe it was, after all he had been out of town a lot so maybe she should expand the geographic boundaries a bit.

"You do get around."

He touched her shoulder and she turned around to look at him. His eyes looked serious and she braced herself for the impact.

"I've had my relationships but it's not as many as you think."

She conceded him that point.

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind the next time you spill some more innuendo."

He told her then he was going to read in the living room and she thought he might just join him, as her mystery novel had been looking pretty intriguing so far. She heard some branches hit the side of the kitchen wall and flinched a little. Matt just looked at her.

"It's just a little wind C.J."

But she looked out the window anyway.

* * *

Matt started moving forward in the sand having last seen his cousin's face drifting further away from him. He had been hiking through the arid mountains of some foreign country and had seen Will slipping into what appeared to be quicksand. He had run to pull him out of it but it seemed like the harder he pulled on his cousin's arms, the faster he slid beneath the mire. Then suddenly both of them were pulled beneath the surface and found themselves surrounded by jungle. Only when Matt had looked for his cousin, he found only his skeleton next to him.

And then he had been running through that same endless jungle dressed in military fatigues so sure the kidnappers were following him. He stumbled and found himself falling into a pit and while falling, but even though he had this dream before, it seemed different.

He started flying through the air and out of the hole as it collapsed around him and then he stood on solid ground again. He looked up and saw her.

C.J. reaching out her hand to him.

"Come follow me," she said.

* * *

He saw her standing in front of him when he woke up. She sat on the bed, moving closer to him. He looked at her startled.

"Don't think this means anything's changed," she warned.

He nodded and she brushed the damp hair off of his face.

"Another one?"

Meaning another nightmare, Matt thought and he didn't know how to answer her. The dream had started out much worse than it had ended. Surely that had to mean something. He rested against her and closed his eyes as she wrapped her arm around him and they both settled in for the rest of the night.

"Were you still up," he asked.

"I was going to turn in anyway," she said, "I'd just changed into something more comfortable."

And indeed she had, wearing some blue silk pajamas, which felt cool against his skin. His heartbeat began to settle into a normal rhythm and his breath came easier.

"Go to sleep," she ordered him.

And in her arms he did.


	3. Chapter 3

The latest installment of this strange…whatever… I hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

The morning light hit them and he felt a weight on him and looked down to see a beautiful woman curled against his chest, her hair over her face. He brushed aside and saw her closed lids and her slightly parted lips.

She had stayed with him until he had fallen back asleep and hadn't left him even after that. Her breath came evenly and she lay still against him. He tried not to wake her up as he lay back, closing his own eyes again. He had the same nightmare again but it had drifted in a different direction than it had when he had fallen in the pit, which brought back visions of himself as a child being traumatized by an abduction for ransom. But in this dream, he had found his way out so maybe he had started turning a corner.

He hoped so, because he wanted to return to his old life like he had left it. But he still felt some weakness from his injuries so he knew he wasn't there yet.

She stirred and he saw her lift her tousled head to look at him. Her eyes still looked sleepy. Maybe she had needed it worse than he did, as she yawned.

"Good morning," he said, "You're a sight for sore eyes."

She tried to extricate herself from where she had lain, against him.

"I'm sorry; I must have fallen asleep after you did."

"There's no reason to apologize C.J.," he said, "I finally have you where I want you."

She shook her head at him.

"You should have stopped while you're ahead," she said, sitting up.

He watched her.

"Where are you going," he asked.

She ran her hand through her hair as she stood next to the bed.

"I'll start up some breakfast."

He watched her go and then decided to get up himself to get ready for his dreaded daily hike. Only this morning, it didn't seem to loom over him. He couldn't say that he was looking forward to it, but he knew he would survive it. After he changed into his workout gear, he decided he might try running part of the trail if he didn't have any dizziness. The vertigo had become more intermittent and there were times that he could almost forget about it. When the waves hit him out of the blue and seemed to swim right through him, then he remembered and that sobered him up a bit. But at least those times were further and further apart.

He walked into the kitchen and C.J. stood at the stove still in her blue pajamas stirring a mixture of eggs that she had poured onto the frying pan. He watched as she added some sliced onions and bits of bacon and chives in the mixture as well. Going to the refrigerator, he went for the orange juice and poured them both tall glasses before popping some bread in the toaster.

"You're chipper this morning," he noted.

She turned to look at him spatula in hand and threw him a smile.

"It's a beautiful Houston," she said, "and you've got a gorgeous hike ahead of you."

He groaned inwardly.

"I should have stayed in bed," he said, then tossed her a grin, "especially with the great company I woke up to this morning."

She rolled her eyes as she worked the scrambled eggs.

"Houston, it's not going to work…"

"What isn't…"

She turned off the stove and scooped the mixture of eggs and other ingredients on a plate.

"This innuendo," she said, handing him a plate, "It's never been like that between us and you know it yet you start acting like it since we got here."

He handed her a glass of juice.

"Tomorrow's always a different day," he said, "or that's what my daddy used to tell me."

She sighed, starting in on her breakfast after they moved to the table.

"Today's a lovely day," she said, starting into her eggs.

"Too beautiful for you to spend it indoors working while I'm out there taking my daily nature walk."

"I've been out doing work on planting those new trees," she said. "You can help me when you finish if you want."

But she figured he would be tired after his exercise.

"Maybe I will later on."

* * *

She watched him go as she usually did, disappearing down the trail, this time at a jog and then went back to working on the trees. He hadn't asked her this morning if she was going to do as Murray asked and work on trying to get Grant to work with Matt's company. As she started digging into the soft earth, she thought about it. Murray had sounded so excited when he learned through the business industry grapevine that Grant had moved to L.A. from where he had enjoyed great success in the Silicon Valley. Before she had even agreed to help Murray secure his employment, the accountant must have already given Grant her phone number because he had started calling her to meet with her.

But that wasn't ever going to happen, she decided. Not considering what had gone down the last time she had seen him. She remembered that day being told by someone how little meaning the piece of paper she had gotten had which by that point in time she had already known that it had meant nothing. She still carried it with her since she had first started hearing from him to remind her of that fact. If anything, it had made things worse.

She didn't know why he had really returned to the City of the Angels, maybe it really had been to expand his business opportunities, maybe it had to do with family or had been more personal. But she didn't care, she just didn't want anything to do with him or any of the reasons why he might have returned.

After finishing the new hole, she poured some water in it and patted it down with her hand before transplanting the small tree. She looked up at the sun which had begun to move up overhead and radiate another day's heat on the mountain. Perhaps a trip to the lake later on might be refreshing. It was still quite chilly this time of year but then she could soak up some of that heat on the grassy bank afterward.

Maybe she would ask Matt if he wanted to join her.

* * *

Matt jogged down the sandy trail and found it easier going than he had thought. Of course that would change if he decided to charge up the switchbacks on the way up. He loved the scenery around his cabin, the contrast in terrain that he encountered when hiking around the area. Up near the lake, there was thick forest and lots of greenery but here in the canyon, it appeared more like chaparral bordering a desert yet one filled with life. Lizards scattered around through the sand as he approached the thin river and Matt had even dodged several snakes including one fortunately rather mellow rattler. He hadn't wanted to add a bite from one to his list of scars.

He thought back to C.J. and went through his daily litany of imagining her back at the cabin relaxing while he slugged it out down in the canyon. But he also imagined her in other ways. He was a guy after all which didn't preclude him from thinking about his best friend in other settings. Damn she had grown so beautiful during their time apart which had lasted longer than it should have but their lives had pulled them in different directions for a while until she came back to work with him. She was very sharp and filled with good spirit and a great sense of humor. She had to have that to have put up with him for the past month or so. He certainly hadn't made it easy for her. He had often wondered what it would be like…to take their relationship in a different direction, to cross a few boundaries so to speak. When he had woken up to find her warm body pressed against him relaxed in sleep, he had thought about that again. What it would be like to…well get a little closer.

But she didn't want him that way and had made it clear. In fact, a part of her seemed to put him at arm's length. Oh, she had always been warm and friendly since they arrived but she had her prickly moments too and besides his sometimes bad temperament, he didn't know why. He did know that Murray's assignment for her to deal with Grant had soured her mood and had shut her down more than a few times since their arrival and why remained a mystery to him. One that she didn't seem inclined to enlighten him about any time soon and that troubled him a bit. Clearly the two of them had known each other at least at one time and there were gaps in his knowledge of his best friend's history.

A rabbit scurried across his path and he used that as a moment to stop and rest. The dizziness that sometimes had plagued him remained mercifully at bay and he sat down on a rock, to relax for a while. Sweat prickled his body and he used his shirt to wipe his forehead. Another scorcher in the works for today, perhaps he would take a dip in the lake to cool off. He had swam across the lake many times and found it both relaxing and good exercise. Since his injury, he had worked so hard to retain his fitness so that he could really start thinking seriously of getting his investigative agency off the ground. After all, he had his license and had been ready to go before the phone call about Will. He wanted C.J. to help him because of her sharp deductive skills and legal knowhow. But she seemed reticent and he knew that her heart had still been focused in Houston Enterprises. He had just hired a bunch of new secretaries to help him in his L.A. office but she still insisted on handling much of the workload herself. When he made her vice-president, that would probably only increase.

He had his cell phone with him in case of emergencies like heat stroke or snake bite and he pulled it out and reception wasn't great down here but he noticed that Cynthia had called him again. Even though they had broken up because she had thought his hospitalization had been a drag on their relationship. Which wasn't much of them because mostly he wore her on his arm at social functions but she had been trying to get back in his good graces. Fortunately he couldn't get enough of a signal to call her back.

After stretching, he started jogging on back up the trail.

* * *

C.J. heard her phone ring and answered it without thinking. She had been deep in her work planting the tree to avoid where her mind had wanted to go. Back to why she didn't want to do as Murray asked and had been in fact dragging her feet about it. The tree fit nicely in the hole as if should and she filled up the hole with the dirt and packed it in. And that's when the phone had rung and she had answered it.

"Hello, this is C.J."

"I've been trying to get in touch with you the past few days but you haven't been returning my calls."

Damn, she should have looked at the Caller ID before picking up. She didn't need to now to know who was calling.

"Grant…"

"C.J. it's very good to hear your voice again," he said, "It's been a long time…"

Not long enough, she thought and then she froze.

"How did you get my number?"

"I tried to call your work number that a Murray Chase provided for me," Grant said, "but you haven't been returning my calls. Perhaps you've been too busy…"

Not busy enough apparently.

"Look ...Grant…I don't think I'm the right person…"

"No C.J., you're exactly the right person," he corrected, "I've been thinking about you."

She didn't know how to respond to that or even where to begin. She just knew she wanted him off the phone.

"Look I'm on vacation right now," she said, "And I've left all my business at the office, so I'll get back to you when I return to L.A."

She heard him sigh on the other end.

"Well let's forget about business and catch up then," he said, "I've been very busy becoming very successful as I'm sure Murray's told you. In fact, he's trying to get his boss, this Matt Houston to hire me."

Oh she definitely knew that.

"Why would you want to work with him," she asked, "You're already successful."

"Yes I am," he said, "but I'm looking to expand my horizons and Houston Enterprises has really put itself on the industry map as a rising corporation. I'm sure you had a lot to do with that being so close to its president."

She felt irritation fill her just listening to him but at least she didn't feel fear at least not yet. But he hadn't been finished.

"It would also be very nice to work with you," he said, "I've really missed you and I hope the feeling's mutual."

She paused.

"If I get hired, I don't want any problems," he continued, "because of some misunderstanding between us."

She felt the chill then run through her at his tone of voice, not to mention his words.

"It's all water under the bridge after all," he said, "I'm sure we've both moved forward."

She wondered if he had done that. Could it really be so easy for him considering what he had done?

"So are you going to take Murray's offer," she asked.

"I haven't decided yet," he answered, "I've received different offers due to my track record and I'm weighing my options."

She would be doing the same thing if he did choose to work at Matt's company, she just didn't know what they would be. She looked at her watch, nothing that Matt would be returning from his hike soon.

"Well listen, I've got to go," she said, "You can forward your resume to Murray and let him handle it."

"I would much rather meet with you and discuss it," he said.

She paused.

"Grant, that's not going to happen," she said, "I'm on vacation and I don't know when I'll be returning to L.A. Let Murray handle it from here."

"I will…for now," he said, "but I will be speaking with you soon…"

She sighed as she clicked off her phone and put it back in her pocket, not wanting to look at it. Why had Murray given him her cell phone number anyway? She had told him she would handle it when she and Matt returned to work. The chill hadn't quite left her and she stood up to go in the cabin but her legs felt weaker.

* * *

By the time she had gotten herself a drink from the kitchen and sat on the front deck to drink it, she had tried to put the phone call out of her mind and focus on the beauty of the day. She would eschew any work today and head off down to the lake to read her novel. And if she felt like it, take a brief swim.

"Hey, somehow I pictured you relaxing in the shade while I was down in the canyon," a voice said to her.

She looked up and saw Matt heading towards her, while rubbing his face with his tee-shirt which he had removed exposing his very nice chest. She swallowed and watched him as he sat down beside her. She tossed him a water bottle and he thanked her, downing it in just seconds.

"It's hotter down there than it's been all week," he said.

"You really tired?"

He shook his head.

"I feel invigorated actually," he said, "I think I'll do some work on the cabin that I've been meaning to do."

"Grant called…"

He looked over at her picking up a note of something in her voice that had drawn his attention away from his own thoughts.

"About the position?"

She nodded, then looked at her glass of iced tea in her hand. Matt stroked her hair off of her face.

"What is it that you're not saying about him," he asked.

She shrugged while enjoying the feeling of his fingers on her face. Yes, it was a gesture of friendship that she had grown accustomed to but it felt good. Still, the effects of Grant's phone call hadn't left her and she had tried to slam the lid down on everything that had to do with him for so long. But she would have to keep doing it now even though she suddenly found that task much harder.

"Nothing," she said, "I just wish Murray hadn't given him my cell number. I wanted to forget about the office for a while longer."

Matt lifted a brow at that. What the hell was she talking about, she had brought a bunch of paperwork with her to the cabin and had buried herself in it for a period each day. But maybe that had simply been a shield she had erected around herself for some reason.

But he kept playing with her hair and that elicited feelings in her where she stopped thinking about Grant. He touched the scar over her eyebrow, idly she thought.

"Where'd you get this," he asked.

"Get what…oh you mean that…"

"Yes…that."

She paused for a moment and he didn't think she would answer. This made no sense because it was just a scar after all. He had tons of them on his own body, all of which had a story of sorts attached to them. None of them a secret to be kept.

"It's no big deal…I hit a table…"

He removed his hand.

"That must have been some feat," he said, "Did you fall on it?"

She looked conflicted at that point, he noticed and biting her lip, which was a mannerism of hers he had grown familiar with during the time he knew her. And she looked away from him, so he couldn't see that or her face which he could read like a book…most of the time.

"Something like that."

She stood up and looked at him, brushing her hair back.

"I've got some documents to review," she said, "and then I'm thinking about heading to the lake…if you want to come."

In other words, the subject had been closed, another door slammed in his face. Well, Matt had worked in military intelligence for several years and had been running his own business about as long and he knew how to investigate. He already knew he wouldn't receive much help from her.

"I'll join you…if you'd like…"

She nodded her head before heading back inside, while he watched her, a plan formulating inside his head.


	4. Chapter 4

Another update to this strange story. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

They went to the lake and felt the coolness that it delivered in contrast to the heat which had begun to bake the glen closer to the cabin. She staked out her spot underneath her favorite tree and started reading her book that she just had to finish. Matt sat close by and looked at her for a moment before gazing back out at the lake which rippled where the light breeze hit it. He had brought his fishing pole just in case the urge hit him to catch dinner but he felt like burning off some excess energy first with a good swim. The lake did look awfully inviting and soon enough he stripped off his shirt and his sweats and walked towards the water. She cast a look at him while he did so and damn, he sure was something to look at dressed in his swim suit. Look but don't touch, she reminded herself, before returning to her book before he could catch her at it. Sure enough, he turned around to glance at her but her eyes were on her mystery novel and not on him.

"Sure you don't want to join me?"

She looked at him a bit warily.

"I think I'll stay here on shore," she said, "and read my book."

He grinned at her, still standing before her dressed only in his damned Speedos. She tried to look nonchalant. This was her best friend from childhood after all and her boss at the office but right now it was very difficult to remember either.

"All you do is read," he offered, "Doesn't look very relaxing."

She put her book aside.

"Houston, I love a great book and I don't often get the chance considering how busy you keep me at the office."

"I thought you loved your work."

She smiled back at him.

"Oh I do Houston," she said, "but I have to say I've enjoyed taking some time off and kicking back for a while. The world can continue without either one of us for now."

He didn't look quite sure of that but he appeared to digest it.

"I bet work's piling up at the office," he said, "With us going public pretty soon and thinking about trying out my skills as an investigator…"

She shielded her face from the sun which had apparently followed them to the lake after all.

"You'll do great but it's good to take some time off and slow down a bit too."

"I've been slowing down enough," he said, looking back out at the lake.

She heard the restlessness in his voice and knew that this situation had been tough on him but she knew he'd come out on top of it. He always did, whether it had been handling chores at his family ranch, becoming a star football player or one of the top businessmen in the country. The man could do it all _and _keep a roster of women happy. Okay, so maybe that was the problem brewing here. Maybe life up in the mountains was a tad too quiet for the active bachelor who kept quite a busy social calendar back in urbania.

"Houston, you know if you want to invite any of your…friends up here, you can do that."

He appeared to ponder that too.

"Nah, I've already got my best friend here with me and she's so beautiful…"

She suppressed a chuckle.

"Oh really…"

He nodded then cast her a serious look.

"And she'd better watch out because I just might make the moves on her."

She keenly felt the intent behind those words but knew he didn't really mean it. He never did when he flirted with her and it was precisely that fact which emboldened him to do it. If only to get a reaction out of her and knock her off guard. Well, sometimes she played along with his banter and sometimes…not. Today the latest James Patterson Women's Murder Club story won out.

"Houston, maybe you'd better get your swim in before the sun dries the lake up."

Not likely given its impressive size but he took the hint and she picked up her book. He headed out to the lake and entered its waters. She cast a brief glance at him and smiled when he remembered how chilly the lake could be even this time of year because the springs that fed it intermingled with the melting of the snow pack.

"How's the water," she asked him casually.

He just shot her a look and she suppressed a chuckle.

"Oh Houston, if you just jump in all at once, it's a lot easier than getting used to it slowly."

He agreed.

"Kind of like relationships isn't it?"

Oh she didn't want to touch that one at all. Not for the first time that day, she wondered what he was up to, acting this way around her all of a sudden. Okay, so maybe this injury had put his social life on ice for a while and he hadn't had some female action for a while but couldn't he just leave well enough alone? She didn't feel like having those kinds of discussions with him, certainly not about her own relationships.

"Houston, the lake's waiting."

He disappeared cleanly beneath the crisp water and started swimming around the lake in powerful, swift strokes.

"Why haven't you returned my calls," he asked.

She looked up from where she had been studying in the campus library for midterms.

"I told you I didn't want to see you anymore."

He stepped towards her.

"I can make it up to you if you'll let me," he said, "Why are you shutting me out?"

She looked around.

"We're in the library," she said, "and I don't want to discuss this with you. I told you I wasn't interested."

"I don't think you know what you want."

His words angered her but the fear which crept through her even inside a public place kept it in check.

"I told you…"

He leaned forward.

"And I told you that you need to give me another chance…"

C.J. woke up with a start and realized that she had fallen asleep not long after Matt had taken off on his swim. She noticed that he now sat on the shore and he looked over at her.

"You fell asleep…"

She picked up her novel.

"I guess I did," she said, feeling more alert and on guard now.

"I think you're more exhausted than I am," he noted, "but then I get more sleep at night because I'm up and running up and down canyons all morning and swimming in the afternoon."

"Houston…"

He stretched out on his towel on the grass, soaking up the hot sun. His hair already drying and tousled from the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze which blew off the lake.

"I go to bed, you're still up," he said, "and when I wake up, you're already up except for this morning when we were…"

"Remember it was because I fell asleep…"

"Ah yes, that's true…my bedside manner needs some work."

She just rolled her eyes at him.

"I thought you were going to do some repairs on the cabin."

He ran his hand through his hair.

"Well I thought I'd do that…after it cools down a bit…say before dinner."

She nodded.

"Fair enough," she said, "I'll probably be hearing back from Murray soon."

He looked over at her.

"If you don't want to work on getting Sullivan, you don't have to," he said, "If you want, I can tell Murray to back off."

She sighed.

"I just don't want to be thinking of business right now," she said, "I want to catch up on my reading."

He looked like he wanted to say something but kept himself in check. She couldn't breathe easier because she knew that didn't mean that he had dropped the issue.

"Look, there's nothing going on here Houston," she said, "It really is about keeping work separate from my vacation time."

He narrowed his eyes.

"C.J. I never asked if anything was going on," Matt said, "But it's hard not to notice that your guard goes right up every time I bring up Grant Sullivan."

Now she looked wary and Matt noticed the difference.

"I didn't mean anything by it," she said, "I'll handle this situation when we get back to L.A. next week."

Matt nodding deciding to really let it drop for now but feeling perfectly free to address the situation in the future. The look in her eyes told him there was more than met the eye and his instincts honed from his years working intelligence agreed.

"Murray doesn't sound like he wants to wait…"

She flashed her eyes at him suddenly and then dropped her novel.

"Then let him handle it," she said, "If he wants Grant to work at Houston Enterprises so badly, then he can headhunt him."

"C.J. I didn't…"

She sighed, interrupting him.

"It's fine," she said, "I think I'll go start in on some paperwork."

With that, she picked up her things and headed back to the cabin. He just watched her wondering what landmine he had stepped on this time. She had been quite temperamental in the past several days and he thought maybe it had been because of their close proximity but now he realized that the focus of her behavior had been the business whiz that Murray had been so desperately trying to add to the fold of his company. Only he didn't know why.

He began to stand up himself to head on back and then he noticed that she had left her novel in the grass in her rush to leave the scene. Inside the book was a piece of paper obviously used as a place holder until she returned to it. He picked up her book to take it back with him.

She sat in the living room on the couch, her papers spread around her like a fortress to keep her focused on her work which had often proved to be a safe retreat for her. Until Murray had brought up his eagerness to recruit Grant, the man who had been a part of her past, one that she thought she had put behind her. But now he had resurfaced and started calling her purportedly on business but she knew better.

Suddenly she heard some thumping on the side of the cabin wall from close to the fireplace and froze. Who was out there, she wondered, looking around. Then she remembered and exhaled slowly. Most likely Matt had done what he had pledged to do and that was tinker with the exterior of his cabin. He had proven to be filled with restless energy today which she took to be a good sign that the man she had known most of her life had returned. She returned to reviewing documents that she had brought with her and would soon fax back to Murray while listening to Matt work outside.

The door opened finally and he entered dressed in his sweats and shirt, sweat imprinted on his chest and back.

"You need anything to drink," she asked.

"I'll get a beer," he said, and then he went outside for a minute.

When he returned, he had her book in his hand which of course had been bookmarked by that sheet of paper she had carried around with her until its folded edges had become worn.

"You found my book," she said.

He nodded and handed it back to her. She found her eyes meeting his own, searching them for something new there, something that indicated that he had discovered something new. But what she saw was the warmth that he often showed her and she relaxed. She removed the piece of paper from her book and slipped it in her folder with other papers. If he noticed, he didn't say anything about it.

"So that was you banging around outside," she asked.

He noticed that her eyes flickered around the living room but by the time they had returned to him, she had put a smile on her face. Her hands remained clenched on her lap.

"I was doing some repairs…"

He watched her carefully and she noticed that, so she slowed down her breathing and tried to relax her shoulders.

"I thought you fell off a ladder and was going to check up on you," she said.

He went into the kitchen to grab himself a beer and she noted the way that the tee shirt hugged the muscular form of his chest and the white contrasted with his tanned skin. He returned with two beers and tossed a can to her which she accepted gratefully. She didn't favor that drink but anything to take away the edge. He sipped his own thoughtfully and noted that she nursed hers while still looking around the room.

"C.J. what's going on here?"

She looked at him suddenly.

"Nothing Houston," she said, "Why do you keep asking me that question?"

He didn't move from where he stood and his facial expression remained unchanged. She felt his scrutiny as if she was sitting in an interrogation seat and she didn't like it. No wonder the man wanted to be an investigator, so he could earn money putting people on the spot. But she was the one in the room with the Harvard law degree and the legal experience.

"Because you seem…tense when certain subjects come up and you haven't been sleeping much since you arrived."

She folded her arms.

"How would you know," she said, "Unless you check up on me."

He sighed.

"I'm just concerned that I'm not the only one who brought baggage here," he said, "You've been really patient at helping me deal with mine even if it's telling me where to take it…"

"Is there a point to this Houston?"

Irritation flashed in her hazel eyes and it was impossible for Matt to miss that.

"I can do the same for you," he said, "You know you can tell me anything and I won't…"

"You won't judge me," she interrupted, "It's easy for you to say but you're not the only one to say it."

Now that statement threw him through a loop.

"Who's judged you," he asked, sitting down on the chair next to her, "What's going on here?"

She looked down at her hands, not noticing that the paper that she had just tucked into her folder slipped onto the floor by her feet.

"Nothing…"

Damn now she was wrapping herself up in that defensive shield of hers, he thought. He could watch her mind work just by looking at her face.

"It doesn't look to me like nothing…"

She just rubbed her eyes.

"Look it really isn't anything to concern yourself about," she said, "I really wish you'd drop it."

Her voice sounded light but that look in her eyes…told him she meant every word of it as if…a lot depended on it. He just stared at her in silence, feeling suddenly at a loss while she picked herself up off the couch and left the room, heading into the kitchen. He watched her disappear behind the door that she closed behind her and then his eyes caught the piece of paper on the floor. He picked it up and unfolded it for a closer look.


	5. Chapter 5

This one's updated. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

* * *

The writing on the piece of paper had mostly faded over time, enough time to yellow its corners but Matt knew what he was looking at. He narrowed his eyes to try to make out the exact wording but found himself unable to do so. His frustration level rose at that because he knew his best friend very well, certainly well enough to know when she hid something from him. But he hadn't imagined it would be something like what was in front of him.

The date read some years ago, back when both of them had been at universities a thousand miles and several time zones apart. He had been playing football on the championship team at Rice University working towards the Cotton Bowl that lay in his future and she had been studying and earning places for herself on honor roles. She had also pledged a sorority and had gotten in with Julia and some other women that were in some of her classes. They hadn't corresponded all that much being so busy with their lives. Even though they were life-long friends, there were times when they fell out of touch with one another for months until they finally did find some time to catch up on their lives. Clearly C.J. had left a few significant details out of her updates to him about her years spent studying at Berkeley.

He tried to make out the rest of the wording and made out her last name and the name of the other person on what to him looked like some sort of restraining order. Damn she had certainly never mentioned that she had taken out one of these on someone. Who had been the person needing to be restrained by the courts and why? What had happened to her and who had done it and why had she never told him?

His head filled with questions and his chest felt tightened by what filled him because he didn't have the answers. The very thought that she had ever felt fear enough in her life to fill out one of these forms and he hadn't been there to help her through it. He ran his hand through his hair and asked the final question, why would she still be carrying it around with her?

He heard activity in the kitchen and knew he had a choice to make. To confront her with what he had discovered and watch her mount up her defenses like she had been doing already or to keep it under his hat for a while and find out information another way. And as he heard the kitchen door open again, he slipped it back in her folder and she arrived back at the sofa carrying a bag of pretzels which she opened up on the table in front of them. She sat down without saying anything and then started reviewing her files.

"C.J. I'm sorry…"

She looked up at him puzzled.

"Why," she said, "You've done nothing to be sorry about. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

He paused studying her face and he saw that most of the tension that had marked it had faded.

"I meant what I said," he said, "If you want to talk about what's bothering you, I'm right here."

She sighed.

"Houston, it's nothing," she said, "I'm just stressed out from the workload and Murray's putting the situation involving Sullivan on top of that."

"I told you that he can handle it for you if you don't want it."

She just threw him a look.

"I told you I'll handle it as soon as I get back next week," she said, as she sorted through some papers.

He wondered what she was looking for, and if it had anything to do with what he had just been reading. Her hair swirled around her face as she finally pulled out what looked to simply be a contract between two merging companies in his conglomerate and started reading it.

"Why don't you just put the business aside until he go back to L.A.?"

She shook her head without looking at him.

"I promised Murray I would proof the merger forms for those new companies," she said, "This is a great deal and I don't want to hold it up any longer."

"He can handle that just fine," Matt said, "Why don't we just focus on other things besides work for a while, okay?"

She gazed up at him with a puzzled expression.

"Houston, the company's going public in less than a month," she said, "and now you want to start a new company…"

"You mean the investigations agency."

She nodded.

"It's what you really want to do isn't it?"

He had told her more than once that he had always wanted to help others solve cases that no one else wanted to touch particularly those who didn't have a lot of money and resources. Murray and others including those following his empire thought he had gone off half-baked but not C.J. When he had shared his dream with her, she had felt it too. She had taken his hand in her own and told him solemnly that she never wanted anyone else to feel like they were alone and had no one in their corner to help them. And then she had walked to the wet bar to pour herself a drink.

"Yeah, I've loved building up my own company mostly to prove I could to my daddy," he admitted, "but I really want to put my intelligence training to use in investigations. Maybe not full time at first but maybe eventually."

Meaning if it worked out and he felt really drawn into it that he wanted to make it his lifelong pursuit. C.J. admired him for that but knew that in all likelihood, Murray would throw more than one fit when he found out. But once Matt made his mind up, that would be that. She of course would help him in his agency because her legal skills and background in criminal law defense before she came to work for his company would place them in great stead.

"Maybe we should start working on the foundation of your new business," she added.

Matt wondered why she appeared so intent to keep the focus on work and not on anything outside of it. But then he had a whole pile of questions to ask her and he knew he had to keep them under his hat for now. Clearly she had kept that restraining order as old as it looked a secret for a reason.

"Maybe we should do something that's a lot more fun."

Her curiosity piqued at that.

"Like what?"

His brow rose.

"Neither of us are seeing anyone right now," he said.

She just looked at him while sipping her beer.

"No I guess I'm not," she said, "but you always have a girlfriend…or two."

"Not right now I don't," he said, "Cheryl decided she didn't want to wait until I got back."

Ouch, C.J. thought. Well she had never really liked the accountant who Matt had met at a party.

"Houston, I didn't come here to hook up with you," she said, "I came as a friend who's concerned about you."

He put his beer down and moved closer to her. She shot him another wary look.

"What are you doing," she said.

"What does it look like," he said, "I'm moving closer."

She folded her arms.

"I can see that," she said, "Why don't you stay where you're at and we can just keep talking?"

He didn't move any closer.

"I can't believe that you're really even interested," she said, "So what's this about?"

He didn't say anything.

"I mean really," She pressed, "It's not like we have a history of any other type of relationship and I don't want to mess with what we do have."

He looked over at the folder where she had hidden her restraining order. She picked up her beer and walked out of the room.

* * *

She sat out on the back deck outside the kitchen sitting in a long chair and looking out into the woods, where anything could hide. But right now, they appeared so peaceful and still, not even wildlife disrupting the atmosphere. She sighed as she tried to relax away from him, because she knew him well enough to know that he had been expecting something from her. Not that he had said anything about it and he certainly hadn't asked but his eyes had been filled with questions. And she didn't really want to find out what they were.

Closing her eyes against the setting sun, she really wished he hadn't come back into her life. She had walked away from him once and had paid for it. The only way she had truly felt she had taken care of herself was to put some solid miles between them. Why had he returned and come all the way to L.A.?

He had made a name for himself back East she had heard though she didn't pay much mind to him except to make sure he kept away. As far away as possible but he had broken that unwritten rule and now he was trying to insinuate himself in Matt's company and only she knew it.

But she couldn't tell him, she just couldn't because she could have to admit the rest of it and her best friend would never look at her the same. Right now, she needed to be confident and strong for him while he had weathered one of the most serious crises of his life. She couldn't show him her own weaknesses because he needed her. If the rock he held onto for support had cracks, he couldn't be allowed to see them. She had been weak back then but she had worked hard since then to develop core strength within herself for protection. So that she could have the upper hand in her relationships and never be anyone's victim again.

Matt picked up his cell phone and called up a friend of his who had helped him get background information for cases before and he booted up his laptop to use that for research as well. He had received a glimpse of something from C.J.'s past that she had kept hidden from him and he wanted to find out what. If he couldn't get the answers from her, he would find them elsewhere, to help her of course. Guilt nagged at him when he thought that she might get angry at his actions at trying to probe where she didn't want him to look but his discovery of that restraining order from her past had been a splash of ice water against his face.

"Hello, this is Houston," he said, "I've got a couple of names for you to look up."

"It's late Matt," the voice protested, "I don't think I can get in the courts database to look for the records on that order."

"You're the best," Matt said, "and you've got legal access."

The man sighed and Matt heard him clicking some keys far away. While he waited, Matt did some searching on the internet, looking back into Grant's background because he had picked up hints that C.J. didn't much care for him possibly for other reasons than she would admit and he wanted to do the initial background work for Murray. His search showed that after getting his advance degree at Yale, he had floated around various other companies as a consultant but never in one place for too long. He had a minor criminal record of breaking into a lab but somehow managed to have it reduced to a mere infraction of criminal mischief. Had he been some sort of corporate spy? Matt would definitely need to look into that as part of the normal hiring and screening practice for his company which would provide him with greater access for more information.

His friend came back on the phone.

"The restraining order was granted by the judge but sealed," the friend said, "They started doing that regularly after that period of time so this was a judicial order on request by one or more of the parties."

Had it been C.J., Matt wondered. Why would she keep it a secret as that didn't seem like the woman he knew, or had it instead been Grant? That made more sense because he might want to keep such a document hidden while applying for top positions which of course, did background checks on their applicants. Plus, it seemed like Grant might have come from some money which might provide him further protection through privilege.

C.J. didn't have that advantage.

Her parents had died when she had been young, one at a time. No siblings either and in fact, his family had been the closest thing to one she had ever known. Though they had grown apart when their lives had diverged before she came to work for his company and before they started spending more time together. But she hadn't talked much about the three and some years they hadn't been together all that much. He knew that she had been close friends since childhood with a young woman named Julia, that she had taken ill while they were both still at Harvard Law School. Maybe he would give her a call and ask her some questions. He knew if she did that, there was a better than even chance that C.J. would find out about it.

"I did find some more information," the man said, "There's medical records tied in with the order but it doesn't specify what's in them."

Matt wondered about that, because as far as he knew, C.J. had always been as healthy as a horse. Never sick and always overflowing with energy and always keeping everyone around her on their toes. He thanked the man and clicked off his phone, thinking about what he had learned. He still didn't know the identity of the man on the restraining order and why she still carried it around, almost as if it were a talisman. But from what, he asked himself.

C.J. sighed as she made herself more comfortable on the chair, feeling tired but relaxed from the beer. She really shouldn't have walked out on Matt but he had irritated her with his attitude. She knew that he hadn't been interested in her but had been using his investigative training to pull information out of her. That bothered her that he would treat her like that when he should really let well enough alone and focus on his own recovery. Which for the most part had been going very well, both physically and emotionally too and soon enough he would return to work and their lives back to normality.

Except for the fact that Murray and even Matt seemed intent on hiring Grant to work for Houston Enterprises and the two of them would then come face to face for the first time in some years. During their past but not long ago enough.


	6. Chapter 6

Another installment of this story is up, hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading and the feedback.

* * *

Matt sat by the phone wondering who to call next, which favor to call in or which string to pull to find out more information on what his best friend had been keeping from him. His logical side said that he should simply confront her with the restraining order and ask her to explain it. But his sensible side said that if he did that, she would just put her defenses up, get angry with him and then push him even further away. After all, if she had wanted him to know about this episode in her past, she would have told him.

But she hadn't leaving him to find about it on his own. But he still didn't know who she had wanted a judge to restrain and what this person had done to her.

The cell phone rang and Matt looked at it, wishing he had left it behind in L.A. After all if he had come here to recover, he might do that better if he wasn't constantly barraged with work.

"Murray what's up," he said.

"Oh Houston, we can't let him slip through our fingertips…"

Matt had to catch up to Murray's own lightening paced mind, never an easy task.

"What are you talking about," he asked patiently.

"Oh…sorry big guy, you know Grant Sullivan, he's being wooed by four different financial firms."

Matt sighed.

"Then maybe they can fight over him," he said.

Murray went silent.

"Murray, are you there," Matt asked.

"Oh yeah…I just can't believe what I just heard you say, that you are just going to let one of those other firms snatch Sullivan out from under us."

Matt scratched his head.

"Murray, I'm just saying what's the rush," he said, "Have we even run a background on this guy?"

"Houston, that could take months," Murray protested, "and you know he's clean, why else would anyone hire him?"

"Well I have to say Murray that I'm worried about why he's jumping around from one high-profile firm to another," Matt said, "He never stays in one place very long does he?"

Murray harrumphed.

"That's because the competition offers him more money than he's making at his current job. "

"Doesn't say much for his loyalty does it?"

Murray sighed and Matt could hear the frustration in his voice but he had built his company from scratch and although he had handed over most of its day to day operations to Murray, he still felt protective of it. And he just had more and more questions about Grant especially when throwing in C.J.'s obvious misgivings against the guy. Actually she appeared to really dislike the guy and he still didn't know why.

She certainly didn't seem intent on sharing her reasons with him.

"Murray, why don't you run a background on it," Matt said, "Get that new guy in HR to handle it, he looks pretty sharp."

"Okay Houston but I think you're overreacting here," he said, "The guy can't be hiding anything."

"Murray, he has a conviction for criminal mischief back East," Matt said, "I'd do the background myself but it's difficult to do it out here."

Murray sighed.

"Okay Houston but it's going to take time and if we wait too long, any background check is going to be a moot point."

Matt could live with that. He had learned that it was better to be safe than sorry, which didn't earn him many kudos in the business world until his company had started reporting major earnings. While others that had jumped too quickly were hit by scandals, his company had flourished and reported higher profits every business quarter in the past several years.

"Murray, I'll get back to you," he said, "and maybe I'll take C.J. off of the Sullivan assignment."

He hung up the phone and leaned back on the sofa.

"Houston what was that all about," he heard from behind him.

C.J. stood there with her arms folded, looking directly at him.

"Oh that was just Murray," Matt said, "I told him to have that new guy in HR run a background on Sullivan."

"Oh you did…why did you do that?"

"Because before I even thinking of hiring him, I want to know his background," Matt said, "I'm concerned that he's never worked for one company very long."

"Maybe you should consult with those companies to find out whether he left on good terms," she said, "They'd expect that as reference checks anyway."

"I'm going to have Murray and HR handle it," he said, "I'm here to relax and recover and you're here on vacation."

"But…"

He patted the couch but she refused to budge.

"Why did you tell Murray that I won't be handling Sullivan?"

He looked up at her.

"Because you don't seem very comfortable with interacting with him and you keep putting it off," he said.

"I've been busy here trying to relax and make sure that you do too."

"You don't seem to like him very much either and you still haven't told me why."

She sat down, but in the chair some distance away.

"Houston, I just don't think he's a good fit for your company," she said, "But you clearly want to hire him and it's your decision."

He watched her carefully.

"What will you do if I did hire him?"

Oh she felt caught when he had asked that question and the way he looked at her then, he clearly wanted an answer. She eyed the doorway.

"Thinking of leaving again?"

She shot him a look.

"No, but if you want to hire him, then hire him," she said, "He could make Houston Enterprises a lot more money."

"I'm not in it just for the money," he said, "I want someone who can expand my company's horizons in different directions because I think the company can do a lot more good that way."

She chuckled.

"I don't think Grant has an altruistic bone in his body."

His eyes narrowed.

"Why do you think that," he said, "He's very bright, very skilled and already has more money than he could possibly spend in one lifetime?"

"He's never satisfied with what he has Houston," she said, "He always wants more money, more things and from the people in his life."

"Are you speaking from experience," he asked.

She hesitated and then swallowed.

"Maybe…"

"That's not a very specific answer C.J.," Matt said, "How well did you know him anyway?"

She curled her feet beneath her on the sofa.

"I didn't know him that well," she said, "and less than I thought."

Matt picked up something in her voice that others might have missed, because he knew her so well.

"When did you meet him?"

"He went to UC Berkley the same time I did," she said, "He pledged the fraternity that was associated with my sorority. We went out a few times."

Matt digested that news.

"Why don't you like him because it's pretty clear that you don't?"

She wrapped her arms around her legs and didn't say anything for a moment so he waited patiently for an answer.

"He was Julia's boyfriend back in college; she went out with him for a while and then broke up with him."

"Why did she do that," he asked.

"You'll need to ask her that."

Matt paused and C.J. thought he had dropped it.

"Was he after her inheritance?"

After all, Julia's parents had started and built upon a huge conglomerate which had spread its tendrils across the world in a variety of different industries including energy and manufacturing. That had naturally made them very wealthy and since Julia had been an only child, she remained the only heir to that fortune. Maybe Grant didn't just use companies he worked at to get ahead…

"Yes Houston, she suspected him of being more interested in her name than her personality," C.J. said, "but it took her a while to get to that point."

"Let me guess, you suspected his intentions first."

She nodded.

"Julia's been one of my closest friends since childhood," she said, "but she really believes in looking for the good in people around her."

"An admirable quality most of the time."

"But not when it came to men like Grant," C.J. said, "He took advantage of that part of her to insinuate himself closer to her father trying to get his approval."

"James Martin isn't that easy to fool," Matt noted, "He's one of the shrewdest businessman around."

She sighed.

"You're right…about the world of business and he's usually very watchful over men surrounding his daughter," she said, "but Grant knew how to work him, what angles to pursue with him. He watched him for a long time before he drew him in as an ally."

"You mean to give him permission to court his daughter as they call it."

"That might be a bit old fashioned even for Julia's father," she said, "but that's what Grant wanted, he wanted a way into the wealth of that family and Julia was the key."

"And you saw right through his intentions," he asked.

It wouldn't surprise him at all, knowing how sharp his best friend's instincts had always been, particularly involving those she cared about and loved.

"I watched him too," she said, "Not seriously at first but he had gone to other sisters in the sorority dating them and then dropping them almost as if he were shopping for the perfect one."

"The one with the biggest bank account," Matt said, "But Julia liked him."

C.J. nodded.

"At first she liked him a lot, felt like he swept her off of her feet," she said, "He seemed like the perfect guy, always anticipating her needs or wants."

"How long did that last?"

She rubbed her eyes.

"Until he started trying to control her," she said, "He wanted to know where she was all the time when she wasn't with him."

"He had a jealous streak?"

"You could call it that."

And she remembered the first time that she had witnessed it. Julia of course had explained it away as proof positive of his devotion towards her because he had bought her a bouquet of flowers and tickets to her favorite band when they came to town.

The bruises of course had healed in their own time, fading along with the flowers.

C.J. sat up in the sofa.

"I'm going for a walk," she said, "What's up for dinner tonight?"

Just like that she had closed out one subject and started another but he knew better than to push her back into a conversation that she had decided had ended.

"There's plenty of food," he said, "I think there's enough sirloin for a month. Maybe I'll cook them out back."

She nodded.

"That sounds delicious," she said, "I'll be back in time to cook some vegetables to go with it.

He watched as she reached for a light jacket which she tied around her waist and then she headed outside.

* * *

C.J. breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like she hadn't exhaled while he had been interrogating her. She knew that hadn't been his intention, just his military training kicking in but she had felt stuck under a microscope.

She knew she shouldn't have cut him off so quickly but she didn't know how Julia would feel if she spilled so many details about a chapter in her life that she had wanted closed. Despite her upbringing, Julia had faced her share of challenges in her life and Grant had just been another one. Julia had been feeling much better lately having gone into remission from her cancer and she had told C.J. not long ago that she had met a nice doctor at the hospital who hadn't been connected with her case. She had decided to just keep living her life as it came because each day could be her last. Even if the cancer didn't return. C.J. knew that Julia had moved forward with her life but didn't know how she would feel about her past being dredged up. After all, if Matt sought to hire Grant, the background investigator would be paying Julia a visit to question her pretty comprehensively about Grant and her relationship with him. And the news the investigator took back to Matt wouldn't be good.

And Julia's interview with the investigator would bring him to C.J.'s door as well.

She headed down the trail towards the lake through a grove of trees where quietness reigned. The hectic life of L.A. far away from her.

Suddenly the ringing of her cell phone broke that silence.

* * *

Matt sat back and thought about his conversation with C.J. who had responded to his questions with responses that just led to more questions. But at least now he knew more about Grant's past and that it had intertwined in some fashion with C.J. and her friend Julia. He felt that she had tried to tell him something that had happened involving Grant and Julia but had reined herself in. Something had clearly soured in the relationship between the two that C.J. had known about when it happened.

But instead of telling him, she had decided to go out and take a walk. Slipping away from a conversation with him once again, one that centered on the man Murray had wanted to hire to work for his company.

Running a background check on Grant sure turned out to be a great cover story for Murray. Maybe he would get lucky and get some information which would start answering his questions.

He looked at his watch and decided he better get the steaks out to get them ready for the barbecue out back.

Entering into the kitchen, he headed towards the frig and pulled them out of the freezer to let them thaw a bit. He checked the cabinet and made sure he had plenty of wine because he knew a certain someone whose guard dropped when she had a couple of glasses of good vintage inside of her.

As he took the wine out of the cabinet in the pantry, he noticed that she had left her purse there on the ledge. He grabbed it to move it, but some of its contents fell out of it.

One of which just happened to be a firearm.

* * *

C.J. looked on her phone for the caller ID and didn't find anything useful so she clicked it.

"Hi, this is C.J."

Silence met her.

"Who is this," she asked, "because if you don't tell me, I'll hang up."

"Don't do that," a voice said, "We have a few things to talk about C.J."

She froze, realizing that it was Grant.

"I told you…"

"I know what you said," he responded, "but I also know that Matt's company wants to hire me."

"It's his decision not mine."

"You don't want me to take the job?"

He knew the answer to that but wanted to force her to answer it, to gauge the effect his calling had on her.

"I think we both know why I don't."

He chuckled.

"It's been too long since we've been in the state."

"Not long enough."

"I'm thinking about taking up Matt on his offer," he said, "I know he has Murray Chase running background on me but he won't find anything."

"Even you're not good at hiding everything."

"Oh but I'm good enough," he said, "And you're not going to tell him anything."

She sighed.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because then I'll have to tell him about what you did," he said, "And I know you don't want him to find out or he'd know already."

She paused thinking she just wanted him to back underneath his rock.

"What are you thinking," he said, "That you wish I'd disappear again. That's not going to happen this time."

"Look if Houston hires you, that's his business," she said, "but I advised him not to do it."

"I don't think you will," Grant said, "Because I've got an envelope here which will find its way towards him…wherever he is…I understand he has a mountain cabin that he visits…"

Shock filled her though she should have known better, that he would at least try to find them.

"And I'm willing to bet that you are up there with him," he said, "Alone just the two of you."

"I'm, hanging up now…"

"That's okay darling because if I don't get this job, he'll be receiving something in the mail real soon."

He had clicked off his phone and she just stared at her, feeling the world closing in on her.


	7. Chapter 7

Another installment up! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and for the feedback!

* * *

C.J. felt like throwing her cell phone in the lake, after getting off the phone with that creep. He had apparently decided not to play nice if she interfered in any way with him getting the job at Houston Enterprises. But if she didn't, Matt might hire a man who by all rights should be locked up in prison for what he had done years ago.

She didn't toss her phone and took deep breaths to show herself that Grant really hadn't just rattled her with his thinly veiled threats. Matt had said that his company had planned to do a background on him but if he did that, then he might find out information that she had kept from him. And then the questions would really start coming, ones that she didn't want to answer.

Because answering them would make her remember.

The trees loomed around her casting shadows as she walked along the shore of the lake. The water shimmered undisturbed except for the occasional fish breaking the surface. Smaller animals scurried in the brush but although there had been mountain lions sighted in these mountains; she hadn't seen any since they arrived. Still she carried some mace just in case. As she walked, she looked around her searching behind ever tree and around every bend.

But it wasn't the wildlife that she watched for.

* * *

Matt ran his hand through his hair, wondering when C.J. had begun packing a gun. He assumed she had gotten a concealed and carry weapon permit to go with it but she had never mentioned anything about arming herself to him. Now he knew she knew how to shoot because when they were younger back in Texas, they had often gone to the range together. She could shoot rocks off of a beer can from quite a distance so if she needed a gun to defend herself, she could use it.

But why did she need one in the first place?

L.A. definitely had its share of crime but neither of them had really experienced it since they had moved to L.A. to expand his business empire. Violent crimes like murder they had read about in the daily newspaper or followed on the nightly news broadcasts but in the corporate world, any criminals tended to be white collar and thus fraud and theft were the two biggest threats and with the proliferation of computer technology and the internet, cyber crimes which targeted their company. But neither of them had even been mugged since they had been there and both of them were skillfully trained in self-defense and could still disable a criminal without a gun.

Still Matt did carry one but mostly when he traveled including when he came here. Yet he hadn't used a gun in defense since his stint in military intelligence had put him in precarious and sometimes deadly situations. Kill or be killed had been the rules of engagement in a battle zone but he had put those days behind him. But C.J. had never even mentioned to him about buying a gun or carrying one and yet she had one in her purse, a gun that she had brought to his cabin miles away from any population of people save a few neighbors. But paired with the old copy of the restraining order that she still carried even though most likely it still wasn't in effect and you had a developing picture of something going on in her life that he had brought with her.

That and the fact that she didn't cotton to Grant who had been dating her friend Julia years ago. Matt's mind swam with all the scenarios that could be taking place here. He didn't know if any of them fit the truth and if so, which ones. The only way he would know for certain was if he just approached her and asked her point blank but something told him that she would just put up another wall between them.

And he was the expert on walls having put up quite a few himself after returning from his last military assignment injured and without his cousin Will who was probably dead somewhere. Maybe never to be found again leaving his family anything to bury. But C.J. was nothing if not persistent and she had a talent for getting over walls.

She had been like that even when they were kids and spent their years growing up together on neighboring ranches. There had been an unwritten code in the valley that ranchers pitched in to help each other when it was really needed and C.J. had done that when one summer, there had been a fire on his daddy's ranch taking out a barn one night and she had rushed over in her pajamas with her uncle to help save the horses inside it.

Not long after that, everyone had gotten together to do an old fashioned barn raising and she had been holding up the frames of wood while they were being attached together. The sun had been blistering hot on everyone who worked that day from sunrise to sundown. A couple of men had gotten heat exhaustion and Matt and she had stopped working to pull them in the shade and give them plenty of cool water.

They had gone their separate ways for a spell between college and then later his military stint and her law school reuniting when she had appeared in his business office with her resume in hand asking for a job. He had hired her on his team of attorneys and she had quickly worked her way through the more experienced of the pack up to the top. Not that he had ever doubted that.

But clearly not everything had been a success for her and she had her dark moments as well. He wondered if one of them had come back to haunt her.

His phone rang again and it was Murray. Damn he should just turn the thing off for the rest of the day so he could have some peace and quiet to do some thinking. But he clicked it on and sure enough, Murray greeted him with another frantic monologue. He had a brother Myron who actually spoke even faster and worked to pay off his business school debt as an auctioneer but Murray more than held his own in that department.

"Hey Houston, I'm just calling to tell you I had HR start a background on Grant Sullivan," he said, "But I still think it's a mistake."

"Murray, doing a background on an employee is never a mistake," Matt said, "It's saved me a lot of grief a time or two."

"I know what you mean boss, but this guy's a sure thing."

"There's no such thing as that," Matt said, "And like I said, I have to say I'm having second thoughts about this guy."

Murray paused.

"Why would that be," he said, "He's the fastest rising star in the finance industry."

Matt wasn't going to tell him about C.J.'s history with the guy because he had a feeling she didn't want anyone else to know.

"Just run the background and see if anything comes up," he said.

"Will do," Murray said, "I've ordered it expedited."

Matt didn't know if that was necessary because he wanted a check that was thorough but he did want to get more information on Grant as quickly as possible.

"Report to me if anything comes up on him."

"You'll be the next to know," Murray said, "When you coming back?"

Matt thought about it.

"I'm thinking maybe next week," he said, "but I'm not sure. The mountains are really nice this time of year."

"Take your time big guy," Murray said, "We're holding down the fort here until you return."

Matt felt certain about that and felt perfectly comfortable having Murray at the helm running things for a spell while he relaxed just a little bit longer. He knew his father would be worried about him if he felt he returned to work too soon. His wounded leg had healed up and the hiking strengthened it and as for the dizzy spells, they still occasionally hit him but he just paused and waited for them to pass. At least the vertigo part of them had mercifully abated. But still he didn't feel like himself, having always prided himself on keeping himself in top physical condition. Any weaknesses he had kept hidden away so that no one could find them.

"I'll talk to you later Murray."

He clicked off his phone and looked at it. Then he decided to go into the kitchen and start preparing dinner. He knew C.J. had left on her walk to get some fresh air and some space. And not just from him and his probing questions but from whatever chapter of her past that still haunted her as well.

* * *

C.J. headed away from the lake, thinking it was about time to head back to the cabin. She knew that Matt had said he would prepare dinner but she wanted to help him. She hadn't walked away from him like that to hurt him. But she didn't feel like discussing some chapters of her past anymore better to just let them remain there. Matt had backed off but if he chose to revisit the issue, he would do it. He had always wanted to be an investigator, one of the reasons he had worked for military intelligence in the army but he could be downright stealth when it came to getting information from someone.

Okay, she would go back, offer to whip up a tasty vegetable dish and then stick to only…one glass of wine in case he thought the right amount of vino would soften her up enough to spill more details.

She turned to head back and then she saw him.

* * *

Matt took the steaks out to the barbecue out back after preparing them with his special brew of spices to heat them up a bit. He liked his meat dishes to include just the right amount of kick and when it came to eating spicy foods, C.J. could eat him right under the table. In fact, her plot of garden at her place almost exclusively grew various types of herbs and peppers that she could deftly mix and match with any number of meals.

He watched the meat cook slowly on the grill and he thought about what Murray had said, about not wasting too much time to hire Grant because he was such a hot ticket. But the more Matt considered it, the less he wanted to hire him at all. He certainly wouldn't without getting some answers straight up from C.J. All he had to do was figure out a way to get the information he needed by slipping through her defenses. That wouldn't be easy but he had to find out what the hell was going on here, what had been going on with Grant and whether or not it had been tied with the restraining order that he had found. The document had been in too poor condition to ascertain whose name had been printed on it and his guy at courts hadn't been much help.

He prepared the plates and silverware and decided that the two of them would eat outdoors on the deck, surrounded by the beautiful scenery and quietness of the mountain. Perhaps then especially with some glasses of wine, the questions he had wouldn't be met with such resistance and the answers would come more easily.

C.J. guarded her privacy from most people except her closest friends. Her college roommate Connie who had just gotten a job at the city's art museum and a couple sisters from her sorority who lived in L.A. They met up for dinner at least once a month at Marcelo's and livened up the place from what the owner told him. Julia lived back in Texas but the two kept in close touch and she even had old friends from high school in Texas that had appeared. Still, there were some things that he realized she had never shared with anyone not even him. But that was no different from himself and his own social circles. He had his tight group of friends including some from his football days including a couple who still played professionally. Still, he had his own secrets.

He went to the kitchen to check to see how the potatoes were cooking, thinking about the dinner ahead as if he were preparing for an interview.

* * *

C.J. looked up and her eyes widened, for in front of her stood a man carrying a fishing pole and kit. At first she had thought…her heart beat still thudding inside her chest. But it looked to be a medium sized man with brown hair who looked like he kept himself in good shape.

"Hi…I'm sorry if I startled you," he said.

She shook her head.

"I'm just taking a walk around the lake," she said, "You've been fishing?"

He nodded.

"Tried to fish actually," he said, "not that I caught anything. I heard the trout fishing was supposed to be great."

"It is actually, you must have just caught them on a bad day."

He tilted his head.

"That's not a fish story is it?"

"Oh no, I and Houston…my friend, we've been catching and eating it since we arrived here."

"Then maybe I'll have to give it another shot," the man said, "By the way I'm staying at a friend's cabin about a half mile away."

"My friend has his cabin close by," she said, "My name is C.J. Parsons."

"Your accent?"

She smiled.

"I'm Texan," she said, "I grew up there with my friend."

He nodded again.

"Nice to meet you Ms Parsons," he said, "My name's Vince…Vince Novelli."

"Likewise," she said, shaking his hand, "Well I'd better head back. I'm supposed to help with dinner."

"Yeah, the wife and the two boys are back at the cabin," he said, "I guess it's another night of pizza."

"That sounds delicious actually."

"My mama makes it," he said, "She's got a restaurant she's been running since my father died and she made sure we had plenty of food with us."

"She sounds nice."

"She is, when she's not giving people the third degree," he said, "Actually she'd make a good cop."

C.J. smiled at him as they said goodbye and headed back to the cabin, thinking that he sounded like an interesting and very nice guy. Maybe she and Matt could invite him to dinner one night…

* * *

She walked back through the wood, feeling better and when she reached the cabin, she saw Matt on the deck by the barbecue. He appeared to be quite busy but he looked up just in time to see her smile.

"I'm almost done with the steaks and the potatoes are baking," he said, "I thought we'd eat out here."

"I think that would be nice," she said, "I'll go whip up some vegetables to go with it."

He nodded and watched her go inside the house, noticing that most of the earlier tension had left her face. Sighing, he hoped that what he had to ask wouldn't bring it back.

But the gun that had been in her purse weighed heavily on his mind.


	8. Chapter 8

Hi, another update on this story is up, thanks for reading and for the feedback! Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The gun that he had found in her purse threatened to weigh on him heavily during the dinner as well. He eyed her carefully as she prepared her plate with the delicious food that they had both cooked and if she noticed, she didn't let on. He made sure he had the wine on the table and he poured them both glasses and then they both sat on the deck outside and started enjoying their meal.

"The steaks are delicious Houston," she noted, "The potatoes are lovely too."

He smiled at her, complementing her on her vegetables which were both tender and very tasty. She smiled back at him and they both settled into a comfortable silence, content to listen to the quietness of their surroundings. But in the back of his mind, Matt wondered about the gun. He wondered about the aged document that had been at one time a restraining order. And the unsettled look on her face whenever he tried to broach the subject of Grant.

Still, she looked lovely even when her mind clearly was occupied with a part of her past that she obviously felt she couldn't share with him. They had been best friends forever it seemed and he had become adept at reading her but now…he could sense the barrier she had erected but not what it protected. Even now while she smiled as she complimented him on his cooking, he detected that wary look in her eyes. As if she couldn't let down her guard down completely even in the middle of the rural surroundings because of something.

Or someone.

He wanted nothing more than to help her as she had been helping him since he had been injured. Even when he had tried so hard to push her away, she had been steadfast on pushing him towards recovery, both physically and emotionally as well. When he needed to be pushed to test his limits, she had done that and when he had woken up from nightmares, she had been there to soothe them away as well.

But now it seemed that she needed him only he knew she would never ask.

"C.J. it's part of my way of letting you know how much I appreciate what you've done," he said, "even though I know my father asked you to come here and keep an eye on me."

She looked at him after sipping some wine and her brow wrinkled.

"I'm more than happy to do it Houston," she said, "That's what friends are for to help each other when we need it."

"You did more than that," he said, "I know I haven't made it easy…"

"Houston, you've been through a lot dealing with your injuries and your disappointment at not finding Will," she said, "I just wanted to help you through that and let you know that if you need me, I'm here."

He knew she meant it and she had backed up every word with action.

"For the first time," he said, "I feel almost like myself again."

She smiled.

"That's great Houston," she said, "You're going to be just fine. You just need to trust yourself and that you will get it all back."

He looked at her thoughtfully, feeling her joy about his admission that his life had been moving back to normal.

"What about you," he asked, "How are things going with you?"

She looked at him puzzled while cutting her steak.

"What do you mean," she said, "Everything's been fine with me."

"Not everything…"

"That's a presumptuous statement to make," she said, "I'm relaxing from my life up here just like you are doing."

"C.J. Something's bothering you," he said, "I can tell that you've been preoccupied lately."

She sighed.

"Houston, I'm fine," she said, "I've never felt more relaxed in long time actually."

He studied her carefully. Her eyes flashed at him to accentuate how ridiculous he was behaving but something else lay beneath that, carefully hidden. Someone who didn't know her very well would have missed it but not him.

"What did Grant do that caused you not to like him?"

She looked at him startled.

"Why would you ask something like that?"

"Because every time his name is mentioned," he said, "You get this expression on your face right before you change the subject or leave the room."

Irritation filled her.

"I haven't done anything of the sort Houston," she said, "It's just that I didn't come here to think about work."

"You came here to keep an eye on me."

"Maybe that was part of it," she said, "but we've been going at it nonstop since I started working for you and don't get me wrong, I've loved it but it's nice to slow down once in a while too."

He digested that believing that had been part of what had been motivating her but not all of it. She certainly didn't want to talk about it but it remained with her. And god help himself, but the part of him driven to investigate what he didn't understand asserted itself.

"You said that Grant was after Julia for her inheritance," he said, "How did it end between them?"

She had been chewing her steak but swallowed it suddenly, looking up at him.

"She just wised up to him," she said, "Julia's never been stupid. She wants to believe in the best of people but she couldn't deny that there were problems for long."

Certainly not when an argument with Grant over something so silly that she couldn't remember it had unleashed a rage so quickly in him that the next thing that Julia had remembered was waking up inside a hospital wrapped up in bandages.

And Grant had been the one to bring her there, riding in the ambulance on the way, holding her hand and with tears streaming down his face, ranting about feeling so stupid that he had inadvertently ran into her in the winding staircase, knocking her down a flight of stairs. C.J. had met up with them in the hospital and after hospital workers had whisked Julia away, she had sat with him in the waiting room. She had watched him the entire time as they waited for news from the doctors. She wondered if Julia would die at his hands, never knowing anything but how much she loved him.

After she had been discharged from the hospital, Julia had remembered little except how attentive and kind that Grant had been towards her during her hospital stay. All the flowers, the gifts and the time spent at her bedside. C.J. just believed that the fear that had struck Grant at the moment he looked down at the body broken by his hand was not about coming so close to losing Julia but at losing any chance at her family fortune.

"She couldn't deny it forever," Matt said, "A man like that shows his true hand before long and like you said, she's not stupid."

Oh Julia had figured it out eventually and C.J. had been greatly relieved when she had reached that point.

But then the nightmare hadn't been over.

C.J. wiped her mouth with her napkin.

"She did figure it out," she said, "That's the important thing."

Now Matt knew that hadn't been the totality of what had to have been an arduous and painful path towards realizing the truth about the man she had loved.

"Did he abuse her?"

C.J. put her fork down and rubbed the bridge of her nose before looking at him. Her eyes flickered with something that he couldn't quite identify though he did recognize it, having seen it before since they had been here. Her mouth quavered a bit and he wondered if she would answer him. But she did with a slight nod. He closed his eyes briefly at that revelation and a chill filled him at the implications that the woman who had shared his fondness and guilty pleasure for auto shows had experienced violence by the hands of a man she had trusted.

"Was he ever arrested," he asked.

"Once," she said, "He bailed out within several hours and then disappeared…for a little while."

Her eyes had darkened in the past minute and he knew in his gut that the story had worsened after the justice system had finally stepped in to do anything. So often that was the case with domestic violence incidents because the legal system seemed to always be a step or behind the types of crimes that happened with families inside their homes.

"Did he ever return…"

She stepped up from her seat and reached out to take his plate to take with hers to the kitchen. Matt just watched her, knowing exactly what she was doing. She was hitting the nearest exit again in a conversation that she wanted no part of any longer.

"C.J…"

She smiled at him.

"I'll be back," she said, "Pour me another glass of wine."

Gladly, he thought if it would relax her enough to…but then he felt guilty for even thinking the thought. If she wanted to tell him anything more, she would do so in her own good time. He knew her well enough to know he couldn't force the issue here as much as he wanted to after seeing the flicker of what remained untold across her face.

She returned and after sitting back down, sipped her wine.

"You don't want anymore?"

He shook his head.

"It makes me dizzy since the injury if I drink too much."

She nodded.

"So how is it Houston," she said, "Do you feel any better at all?"

Changing the subject, as deftly as she knew how to do. But he could go along with that while she drank the wine.

"I feel much better," he said, "Hardly feel dizzy anymore as a matter of fact and my leg feels stronger."

She smiled more broadly this time, her eyes lighting up.

"That's great," she said, "Before you know it, you'll be back to work in L.A. and Murray's heart can slow down a bit."

He paused.

"I don't know if I want to go back to my business full time," he said, "I think I want to give this investigative thing a try."

Her brow furrowed as she considered what he had just revealed, knowing it had been a dream of his since his childhood.

"Okay, I think that's great," she said, "and if I can help you in any way…"

"That would be great," he said, "I don't think I could do it without it, you being a legal eagle and all that."

"You mean to get you out of jail when you get into trouble," she said, "Like that one time…"

Matt grimaced but in a humorous way having long recovered since the one investigation he had conducted since moving to L.A. He had been helping a friend out accused of a crime and had wound up spending a couple hours in the clinker himself…thanks to an overzealous lieutenant with the LAPD.

"I'll never forget that," he said, "I was doing great until that lieutenant arrested me for obstructing his investigation."

"Oh Houston, he got over it and he seemed nice enough on the phone," she offered.

"You didn't see him in person," Matt said, "He actually accused me of having a problem with authority figures."

C.J. bit her lip to keep from chuckling.

"I wonder where he got that idea."

* * *

They sat out on the deck drinking wine and looking out into the forest which had shifted in terms of the noises being made as the sun had set and the darkness fell over the mountain broken up by a thin stream of moonlight. C.J. loved to look up and see the carpet of stars all the way across the sky to the horizon, a sight you could never see in L.A. with all its bright lights. She had never really adapted to living in a big city filled with logger jammed streets, crowded sidewalks and tall buildings which crowded out the sky. She much preferred the open spaces and the cool crisp breezes and scents of pine intermingled with wild flowers and sage in the mountains.

Matt had talked about moving out of his current digs in L.A. and buying a ranch. She hoped he would do it because he had so loved his spread in Texas that he had sold before coming out here. She worked on her third glass of wine while watching him dressed in his worn jeans and his favorite shirt from Rice University.

"You miss it?"

He looked over at her.

"What?"

"Your days at Rice," she asked, "Playing football and being part of that social scene."

"I did plenty of schoolwork too," he reminded her, "I miss playing football but I know I made the right decision."

Not to go pro even though the agents had been calling after he won the Heisman Trophy and took the team to the Cotton Bowl. Damn, if the man didn't succeed at everything that he did not that he didn't mix his talent with a work ethic that even Murray praised.

"You had a lot of girlfriends, didn't you?"

He narrowed his brow wondering what she was getting out.

"I had a few," he said, "It went with the whole athlete image but Squeaky…I mean Christina was the most serious one."

She nodded.

"Ah, the one who left you to go to Europe to become a famous model."

He shrugged.

"I knew it wasn't going to last," he said, "Our dreams and plans were so different. She wanted it all in that industry and I was going into the army with Will."

"I know…I was too busy studying to socialize much beyond the sorority but I had a couple of relationships," she said, "They didn't work out."

Carl had transferred to business school in Arizona and Eric…well that relationship had ended pretty abruptly.

"C.J. did Grant…"

She shook her head.

"No…he didn't have anything to do with that."

Not exactly his question but he had gotten an answer to his next one anyway.

* * *

C.J. tossed and turned in her bed, wrapping the covers around her. Her window had been opened a bit, allowing the chill of the mountain night slip through into her room.

"Julia, you have to press charges against him," C.J. urged, "Or he's going to be out in a few hours."

"Is that the future lawyer talking," her friend asked, "It's my decision and he's said he's sorry."

C.J. sank against the couch in a bedroom that strangely didn't look like that in the apartment she had shared with Julia and another sorority sister. Where was she?

Julia just shook her head, as she cradled the arm with the cast in her lap. Enough time had passed so that her arm itched unbearably underneath it. But the bruises on her body had already faded away from yellow to tan.

"He knelt by my bedside and said how sorry he was for what…happened," Julia said, "which really was an accident…"

"An accident," C.J., "How can you say that after what he did to you?"

Julia looked away for a moment and then when she turned back towards C.J., her eyes had reddened.

"Because I know he loves me," she said, "and I didn't think anyone ever could…I mean the real me."

With that statement, C.J. knew the subject had been closed and sure enough, Julia deftly changed it to talk about summer plans.

Suddenly the room darkened and Julia disappeared, her voice fading away like air that had been sucked out of the room, leaving no trace. C.J. saw herself inside a room so dark that only the outlines of the furniture could be seen. She reached for the light switch and that's when a new silhouette emerged in front of her of a person.

"Julia is that you," she said, "Who's there?"

And then she knew.

She woke up with a start, her heart thudding in her chest and her hand at her mouth, stilling it. Darkness surrounded her still but she made out the clock on her bed stand which read 3 am. Suddenly she heard footsteps in the hallway and a familiar and sleepy head poked inside her room.

"What's going on," Matt asked, "I thought I heard you scream."

Her face flushed as her breathing returned to normal. He just stood there shirtless and a pair of faded sweats hanging off of his hips inside out meaning he had just pulled them on in a rush to reach her.

"Houston, it's nothing," she said, "I just had a dream."

He walked over and sat on her bed.

"Sounded like a nightmare," he said, "I know, having had a few lately myself."

"I don't even remember it," she said, "Not really. It must have been the wine."

"Maybe it was the conversation we had earlier."

She shook her head.

"Oh no Houston," she said, "I wasn't thinking about that at all when I went to bed."

She sat up and he noticed the skimpy night grown that she wore, and then he tried hard not to notice. She was his best friend from childhood after all.

"We can talk about it in the morning," he said, "Would you like me to stay for a few moments."

She looked at him and nodded, scooting over so she could give him some room. He opened his arms and she slipped comfortably into his warm embrace. Oh the roughness of his skin felt good on her face and his arms soothed her but she tried hard not to think about that…or anything except getting back to sleep.

"You don't have to…"

He stroked her skin.

"I want to C.J.," he said, "for all the times you'd done the same for me."

She smiled then and closed her eyes, letting the steady beat of his heart lure her to sleep. Matt stayed up a while longer, not feeling the weight of the woman in her arms as much as what clearly had settled in her heart. He just had to find out what secrets rested there and his last thought before falling asleep himself was that he would do just that.


	9. Chapter 9

The latest chapter of this FF story is up! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt woke up first when the sunlight streamed through the window in between the curtains and looked over at C.J. who remained asleep, her arms wrapped around a pillow. Her face looked relaxed, certainly more so than it had last night when she had been disturbed from her slumber and so had he. Waking up, he felt quite rested and ready to do his daily hike. He decided he would try to run most of it taking plenty of water to drink when he hit the hottest spot near the bottom.

"How'd you sleep," a voice asked.

He looked over to see C.J. looking at him, her eyes mostly open as she moved to prop herself up on her elbow. Her dark hair hung loosely around her face and she yawned.

"Very well," he said, "What about you, you had quite an eventful night."

She yawned again.

"It must have been something I ate," she said, "That didn't agree with me."

"Maybe there's something on your mind that's bothering you."

She shot him a look.

"Isn't it time for your daily exercise?"

Matt made a face and got out of bed, walking towards the doorway.

"It doesn't look like it's going to be as hot today," he said, "I might run the whole way."

She nodded.

"You do that and I'll do some gardening," she said, "I'm almost done with those new trees."

"They're going to be great shade in about 10 years," he said, walking to his room. She heard him walk back and then the shower turn on. She sighed and got out of bed, reaching for her cell phone. The log told her that Julia had called so she clicked on her phone to call her friend back.

"What's up Julia?"

"Just calling to check up on how your vacation's going…"

C.J. snorted.

"It's more for Houston than for me," she said, "but it's been great having the time off."

"Has he forgiven you for coming to keep an eye on him?"

"I think so," C.J. said, "He's doing a lot better and doesn't seem to be as frustrated."

"That's great," Julia said, "Like I said, I know how he feels. It can be a rude shock when you hit your body's limitations."

"How are you doing?"

Julia sighed.

"My blood count's still good but it's a month to month proposition," she said, "Makes me not want to put my life on hold knowing that at any time it could change."

"You've been doing so well."

"I know but the chances of the remission lasting are about fifty-fifty."

C.J. knew that from what the doctors had told her friend but she felt that her friend would draw the lucky side of the coin toss that life had thrown at her.

"You'll make it…"

"I certainly hope so," Julia said, "but what's going on with Grant…is Matt going to hire him?"

C.J. paused.

"Well is he?"

"I don't know," she said, "Murray really wants him to work for the company. He wanted me to do the headhunting instead of leaving it up to HR."

"Well didn't you tell him?"

"You mean Murray?"

"No, I mean your best friend," Julia said, "He needs to know the truth about the man he's planning to hire."

"I've heard from him," C.J. said, "From Grant and he told me not to interfere with him getting the job or to tell him what happened."

"And you're not listening to that creep right?"

C.J. sighed.

"I've never told him what happened."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want anyone out here to know," C.J. said.

"He's not just anyone C.J."

She knew that but if he knew the truth, what would he think?

"I know that," she said, "but the past few months have been very hard on him and I really don't see the point of dredging up this ancient history anyway."

"How do you know that's not what Grant's doing, by all of a suddenly returning into your life?"

C.J. got up from her bed to go to her dresser.

"It's just a coincidence," she said, "He's working someplace else and Murray's the one that's pursuing him."

"I'm sure even Murray believes that…but what does Matt think about him?"

"He did ask a guy in HR to run a background on him but Grant already knew and he said it wouldn't do any good."

"There are legal records about what he's done."

"It doesn't matter Julia," C.J. said, "I remember those days and what happened, how the system didn't help you even when he escalated his behavior."

"I know but things have changed," Julia said, "The laws have changed and if he tries to pull any of that crap now…"

"He knows we're at the cabin."

C.J. could tell that news shocked her friend.

"How…"

"I don't know but I don't know if he knows where we're at," C.J. said, "But I brought my gun anyway."

"Your what…"

"I went out and got a permit when I arrived in L.A. and Houston taught me how to shoot a handgun years ago."

"I don't know C.J.," Julia said, "Maybe you should call the police."

"He's not anything that would attract their interest," C.J. said, "He's probably kept his hands clean and besides, going to the police last time just made things worse."

C.J. heard a knock on the door.

"I've got to go Julia," she said, "I'll talk to you later."

She clicked off her phone and saw Matt standing in the doorway, already changed into running clothes and ready to go. He tossed her an orange.

"I'll be back in about an hour today."

She nodded, hiding a smile as he left the cabin. After showering, she changed into her cutoff jeans and tank top and went out to start working on those trees.

* * *

Matt jogged down the trail leading to the arduous series of switchbacks which would prove to be their usual challenge. His head felt clear with no sign of dizziness and his muscles had tensed in anticipation of the exercise. He had always been a good runner with just the right combination of speed and stamina and had run in the mornings before finishing it off with a swim in the ocean. The sun shone down but not as brightly as it had earlier in the week. Several cumulus clouds drifted across the sea of blue that stretched out as far as he could see.

He had no intention of even giving his company much thought when he finished running though he did want to call Murray and check on the progress of the background on Grant. He knew that his employee hadn't been too keen on running it but that being the professional that he had proven to be, it would get done and it would be thorough. But what would turn up on it and would it have anything to do with his best friend? Because damn it, he knew when she hid something from him and she was going into overtime now. He had been shocked to learn about Julia's experience being abused by Grant when they had all been in college but he sensed that a piece of that story, a chapter perhaps, was missing. And then he still had no answers when it came to the faded restraining order that C.J. still kept with her and what about the gun? She had never told him that she had bought a weapon even though they had gone to the shooting range so that she could practice.

He needed answers to his questions but he knew better when to press for them and when to play the waiting game. Military training had taught him that sometimes if the interrogator was just patient, the person being questioned would rush to give them the answers they needed to break the tension or out of the need to engage in confession. But C.J. didn't seem to be heading in that direction, if anything she had become more reticent to talk about anything related to Grant not less. He picked up that she disliked him intently and sensed that if he hired him, he might lose her in the process.

That wasn't going to happen, Matt thought as he hit the punishing switchbacks. He had decided that he had no intention of hiring the financial whiz. When Murray found out, it might break his heart but he knew enough now that he wanted no part of Grant involved in any aspect of Houston Enterprises.

He wondered how C.J. would react to that news.

She pressed the dirt firmly around the young tree with her spade and looked at it, after a while it would take root and grow into a strong and very tall tree with branches which spread widely providing plenty of shelter to the walkway with the other trees alongside it. If she kept up her pace of planting, she should have all of them completed by the time they left next week to go back to L.A. Matt had helped her by doing a couple of them but gardening had never been his thing. She had always enjoyed it and had planted many of the flowers surrounding the front porch of the cabin from seed several years ago.

What she liked about gardening so much is that when her hands worked diligently nurturing life to grow in the dirt, her thoughts wandered, and with a couple of nudges she could keep them away from anything unpleasant.

Like Grant.

The dream had hit her like a bucket of freezing water tossed at her. She had been trying for the umpteenth time to tell her battered friend to leave the man who had marked her body with bruises and broken her bones. She hadn't understood why her friend kept making excuses to a man who behind his smiles hid a monster that had infused Julia with so much fear mixed in with pain. Why she had kept taking him back before the bones had mended and the bruises had disappeared. Nothing that C.J. could say could convince her that if she didn't break it off with him, that one day in a fit of rage, he could kill her.

Not that it mattered because when she finally had worked up the courage to call the police and have Grant arrested, the system had given both of them a point lesson on how inadequately it dealt with domestic violence.

She reached for the watering can and poured it liberally on the newly planted tree, the ground soaking up every drop as quickly as it received it. Then she got up and headed towards the porch where she had left her juice. Matt hadn't returned yet but she knew that after hitting the switchback portion of the trail that he might have slowed down a bit. She sat on the porch for a while looking out at her dual line of trees. They wouldn't earn her a gardener of the year title but they did look lovely. In 10 years, the walkway would look so different and she wondered what life would be like for both of them then. Maybe one or both of them would be married and even have children. Wouldn't be a bad future to be sure if either met the right person.

Not that their busy lives filled with long days and evening spent at the officer not to mention all the traveling they did made it easy to have serious relationships. Matt didn't seem interested since a fiancée of his had been murdered by a serial killer a couple of years ago in only having one regular girlfriend and she had just been too busy to really think about even having a relationship. Not that there were any shortage of eligible and not so eligible men in L.A. but few of them seemed interested in doing else but spreading themselves out widely.

And then there were the types of men to avoid even when they came looking for you.

She shook her head to clear it of her thoughts and returned to her gardening.

Matt had reached the bottom drenched in sweat but feeling much better having battled through the steepest parts of the trail when he hit the switchbacks and not having to stop. Even though he felt the heat against his skin, the dizziness kept away. He reached on his belt for his water bottle and sipped it carefully while his breathing slowed down. He had desert training along with jungle training and alpine training so he could cope with just about any hostile environment and surroundings. Still, he wasn't at full strength and had definitely felt that run.

He sat down on a rock, staring at the slowly bubbling stream which still cut its path through the sheer rock faces which merged with the mountain dirt. Matt loved the outdoors and hated being cooped up too long in an office in some high rise like the one that he had purchased and had customized so it would include elements of the outdoors within its interior design. The employees who staffed the penthouse suite seemed to like it although C.J. teased him on the construction of the Jacuzzi but even she had to admit it had its purpose when he caught her taking a dip after a particularly arduous work day.

She had been a pleasure to spend vacation with even though he teased her about being his father's assigned babysitter and tested her on the boundaries of what she felt free to share about her past, the several years where their lives had gone in such disparate directions until they were reunited. But she really put up some impressive walls shielding her from any questions about Grant except that Julia had been in an abusive relationship with him and he hadn't figured out a way yet to get past them. The direct approach was one he usually favored. But it hadn't been working so far so he had to switch tactics.

He removed his chest and wiped the sweat from his body with it and the slight breeze which hinted of the distant ocean provided a mild cooling effect. After another drink from his water bottle, he decided to head back up.

* * *

C.J. had left a note for Matt that she had headed out to the lake for a swim. The water had been frigid when she had waded in but she soon adjusted and started swimming out with swift strokes. It felt refreshing even though her muscles protested until she had warmed up and channeled the times when she had done ocean swimming.

Swimming cleared her head of its thoughts even better than gardening and she had found herself thinking of what Julia had said, about letting Matt in on her past experiences with Grant. If Houston Enterprises hired Grant, she could no longer feel comfortable working there but couldn't very well go and submit her resignation without inviting an interrogation from Matt. But just thinking of the story that she would have to tell him, it made her resolve weaken.

She looked up from the lake and saw him sitting on shore, the man she had run into earlier. Vince, she believed his name to be. Heading towards land, she swam until the lake became shallow enough to sink her feet into the sandy bottom. He looked up when he saw her.

"You swim in that lake?"

She nodded, as she went towards where she had put her things. She sat down on her towel, allowing the sun to dry her off.

"Must be cold as hell," Vince said, "from being fed from mountain springs."

"It's invigorating…but it's cold when you first get in."

He chuckled.

"I'll take your word for it."

"Fish biting?"

He shrugged.

"A few nibbles," he said, "I'm here mostly because Mama and my wife teamed up on me to go get them dinner. They chase the boys around for a while so it's a fair trade off."

"How many kids," she asked.

"Two and another on the way," he said, "though if Mama had her way, we'd be fielding a baseball team by now."

This mama sounded like a formidable woman, C.J. thought. But affection definitely laced Vince's voice when he spoke about her.

"You married?"

She looked up at him and shook her head.

"I've been too busy working," she said, "I'm here with my friend while he recovers from an injury."

"Someone told you to watch over him?"

Damn he was intuitive but then again, he said he was a cop.

"His father but he's very self-motivated," C.J. said, "He was out running the canyon last I saw him."

"Are you…he…"

She laughed.

"No…no we've been close friends since we were younger."

"Because you're certainly a beautiful lady," he added.

"Well thanks for saying that," she said, "but I'm not really his type anyway. He likes to party more than I do and he's got a flock of women to keep up."

"And you…"

"I like to spend time with smaller groups of friends."

Vince cast his line again.

"Mama and my wife ordered me to take this vacation," he said, "Work's been stressful lately."

"Is being a cop ever not like that?"

"True, but there had been this murder case in particular," he said, "A young woman who was found dead near some hotel in downtown."

"How awful," C.J. said, "Did you find her killer?"

He shook his head.

"It drove me nearly crazy," he said, "but they just IDed her this morning on dental records."

C.J. recalled reading that by the time the body had been found, it had been badly decomposed. She had wondered what this woman's last moments had been like, what it had been to look into the face of the person who would be the last person you would ever see.

"Who was she?"

"Mallory Prince."

C.J.'s heart nearly stopped beating and her hands tingled.

"What is it," he asked.

"I knew her," she said, "We went to college together at Berkeley. She was in my sorority."

The second to die from her sorority because another one of her sisters had been killed in a car accident just several months ago not long after marrying her prince charming of a guy. A tragic accident, the newspaper had stated. Her husband had been distraught at the funeral but last she heard, he had taken off slumming around in Europe.

But now Mallory…she closed her eyes.

"How'd she die?"

Vince sighed.

"We don't know," he said, "but it looks like strangulation is a possibility."

"She was such a nice woman," C.J. said, "Very happy too. I think she worked in a business firm."

"Listen if you have any information on her, maybe you could give the detective a call," he said, "He's Phil Clifford in homicide/robbery."

"I don't know who would want to kill her."

"It could have been random," he said, "but we don't know until we do further investigation."

Matt called Murray on his phone and he answered. He told him he was calling to check on the progress of the background on Grant. He had found C.J.'s note and figured that he would use the down time to rest after his tough hike. But first things first…

"Not much back yet," Murray reported, "They're looking at his elementary records, scary stuff."

"Murray, I'm more interested in the last five or so years."

"Any particular reason boss?"

"A prior history of domestic violence."

Silence met him from Murray.

"Say again?"

"He abused a woman he had a relationship while in college," Matt said, "One of C.J.'s friends."

"Really," Murray said, "You can't be serious."

"I am and until there's further information, I want to keep this between us and the HR guy."

"Gotcha you boss," Murray said, "I guess this guy might not be a perfect golden boy after all."

They talked for a few minutes and after Matt clicked off his phone, he tried to figure out how to proceed next.


	10. Chapter 10

The latest installment to this FF story is up, hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and for the feedback.

* * *

Mallory Price.

C.J. remembered that they had been study partners in several classes while she had been attending Berkeley. A quiet studious woman with long straight blonde hair she often wore up in a thick ponytail and inquisitive blue eyes behind her glasses. Pre-law but she had gone off to business school to earn her masters instead of law school. C.J. had kept in touch with her after that but not very closely though she had lunch with her several months ago in a tea place in Little Tokyo.

Mallory had eschewed her glasses for contact lenses and her eyes had danced as she talked about the volunteer work she did with the Women's Club. Had anyone missed her when she had disappeared, and would anyone mourn her now?

"She had a mother but her father died when she was in college," C.J. recalled.

Vince nodded.

"We tracked down her mother in San Francisco," he said, "She's driving down with a sister to claim the body."

C.J. remained mystified as she imagined someone out there who had been filled with enough anger, or hate to choke the life out of a young woman with a promising future ahead of her.

"Who would do such a thing?"

Vince shrugged, checking his line.

"It could be random, or someone she knew who got very angry with her."

"Everyone liked her," C.J. said, "She didn't get out much. She was always in her books at the library but she and Connie were my best friends at Berkley along with Julia."

"Were you all in the sorority?"

C.J. shook her head.

"Connie pledged some other house," she said, "She was into arts and culture, more than a professional school."

"Her bosses reported her missing when she didn't show up for work," Vince said, "but we had to wait to declare her missing."

C.J. nodded.

"Anyone back then who didn't like her?"

She thought back but couldn't think of anyone who disliked her friend who despite her quiet demeanor had been well liked in the sorority. She wrapped the towel around her, sitting up, her hair drying from the sun.

"No, she had a lot of friends," C.J. said, "I can't think of anyone who had a mean word to say her let alone who would want to kill her."

Vince sighed.

"We're checking out her background carefully," he said, "but she didn't have a boyfriend and didn't go out much after work."

That sounded like Mallory. C.J. stood up, picking up her clothes.

"I should be heading back," she said.

"I'm sorry that you had to find out this way about your friend."

She looked back out across the lake.

"We hadn't kept in close touch lately," she said, "It's so awful that her life ended that way."

She kept that thought to her closely as she proceeded back to the cabin.

* * *

Matt lay on the couch fast asleep, a book across his lap and C.J. crept carefully across the floor, careful not to awaken him. She knew the tough exercise he put himself through to get back into fighting shape wore him out but the afternoon naps would do him good. She walked into the kitchen to pour herself some iced tea and get a bite to eat. She made herself a sandwich and took her meal out onto the back deck where she sat and ate it, thinking about what Vince had told her about her friend. Why on earth would anyone want to hurt her, a business executive who lived alone in the middle of L.A.? Sure, it was a violent place at times as were most urban areas but if it were indeed a random crime, then Mallory had truly been unlucky.

But then again, if it weren't random…then who would have ended her life? Was it someone who ambushed her with brute force or someone who she trusted who had engaged in the ultimate betrayal? Would anyone ever know who killed her and why, given the state of her remains which would yield few clues about the last minutes of her life. She had been found close to a hotel, what had she been doing there or was she just dumped there after her murder?

C.J. found herself filled with questions, so much so she didn't hear the footsteps behind her.

"I guess you're back from the lake," Matt said.

She turned to look at him and nodded silently. His eyes caught that something had changed in her.

"What is it," he asked.

She just looked at her hands but he noticed her body tremble so he sat down next to her.

"A close friend of mine from college was found dead," she said, "I hadn't seen her in a couple of months."

"Someone call you?"

"No, I ran into an LAPD officer fishing at the lake," she said, "He didn't know she was a friend of mine. The case was just on his mind."

Matt realized that she had been thinking about it a lot too.

"Do they know who's responsible?"

She shook her head.

"It might be random, it might not," she said, "I don't know who would want to kill her Houston."

She rested her head on his shoulder and he took her hand in his own, holding onto it.

"Feel up to some dinner later on?"

"I just ate a sandwich," she said, "but maybe we can cook up some burgers and dig out some of those pickles."

He smiled at her.

"Sounds great to me."

* * *

They ate dinner later on and then had some ice cream for dessert before they both settled in the living room to catch up on a little bit of work. But only a little bit, mostly to keep Murray off of their backs. Matt had emailed some details on a couple of mergers back to him and C.J. dusted a brief that she had been working on and added some notations. They worked in companionable silence for a while as dark shadows replaced the sunlight around the windows and the wind rattled the trees closest to the cabin. C.J. paused to listen to the wind every so often and thought she heard something else beneath it.

An animal or a person crawling around but she told herself the next second that she must be imagining things. Just like she had told herself that night she had come home alone to a darkened apartment.

But she hadn't been alone.

She fingered the scar on her face, the small reminder that the world often could change in an instant. And how violence could change one's life irrevocably like it had just done with Mallory.

"You heard back from Murray?"

He studied her face as she awaited his answer.

"No I haven't…except briefly earlier today."

"Did he have anything to report on the background on Grant," she asked.

"Not much…but I told him about what happened with Julia."

She stared at him a moment then nodded.

"What'd he say?"

"That they're still working on his background," Matt responded, "but at least they know where to look."

C.J. knew that Julia wouldn't care if they probed into her life including her painful chapter involving Grant because though it had taken her a long time to free herself from his hold on her, she had never looked back. She knew that she couldn't afford to do anything but look forward, not after the high price that had been paid.

Not after what had happened that night.

She picked up her mug.

"Would you like some more tea," she asked.

He looked up at her, noticing she had started leaving again.

"What did Julia do to break away from him," he asked suddenly.

He knew without looking that he had startled her. And that he had also sent her back someplace in a different time.

"She defended herself."

"I gather that she did," he said, "but what happened?"

She stopped in her tracks and stood there.

"She got away."

And then she slipped out of the room away from him into the kitchen. Eluding his inquiries once again.

* * *

The wind still whipped the trees around the cabin which had been draped in darkness since passing clouds blocked the moonlight. C.J. tried to sleep but found it difficult, her mind still on Mallory's murder. Visions of her friend alive as she had seen her only a couple months earlier clung stubbornly to her mind which refused to believe that she had died at someone else's hand. Then she saw the fear in Julia's eyes as she explained why she had to take Grant back after he had sent her to the hospital again in a fit of rage over something she had burnt while preparing a special dinner for him.

Grant had been contrite that time too once what fueled his anger had ebbed away and he had stopped by the gift shop to buy her some flowers mixed with a get well card. Julia had stayed in the hospital for two days that time while doctors reported her injuries to law enforcement which then peppered her with questions which she refused to answer truthfully. So C.J. had finally taken matters into her own hand and had told the police what had happened during Grant's courtship of her friend where its milestones had been marked with bruised skin and a litany of apologies.

And when police finally showed up to do what they should have done to him months ago, he had gotten very angry not at Julia but at her.

C.J. opened her eyes suddenly and decided that sleep tonight would be overrated, so she reached for her robe and slipped it over her oversized shirt. She padded her feet on the floor as she walked into the silence of the kitchen to steep some more tea. The wind had died down somewhat and the noise of crickets returned to mark the night. She felt safe inside as long as the cacophony they created continued uninterrupted.

She took her tea in the living room following the small sliver of moonlight which now shone a path inside and she sat on the couch, holding the mug with both hands sipping it slowly. After drinking a bit, she put it on the table and then pulled a comforter around her as she made herself comfortable on the couch. She wouldn't close her eyes and sleep, returning to the past but would simply relax for a moment or two before returning to her bedroom.

But the living room reminded her too much of the one in her apartment those years ago minus the shadow that had stood in an interior doorway, which didn't materialize until her vision had adjusted to the darkness. That had caught her eye almost immediately, the pitch black inside the room because she knew she had left a small lamp on when she had left for the library. But she had but a second or two to think about it until she realized what else had been different.

The familiar man standing in the doorway demanding to know about Julia and her scarf in his hands.


	11. Chapter 11

Another chapter of this one's up! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading!

* * *

The door creaked behind her and she heard footsteps. She almost jumped until she remembered where she sat inside Matt's cabin, not inside that apartment years ago.

"What are you doing up," she asked him.

He sat in a chair next to the couch, dressed in faded sweatpants that hung off of his hips. She tried not to look too hard.

"Couldn't sleep, how about you?"

She pulled the comforter around her.

"I couldn't stop thinking about my friend Mallory."

"The one who they found dead in downtown L.A.," Matt said, "At least they found her."

She sighed.

"I know but she was always so nice to everyone," she said, "Never had a cross word to say."

"Maybe she was nice to the wrong person," he said, "Maybe it was someone she knew."

C.J. frowned.

"That's what I thought Houston," she said, "Aren't most female murder victims killed by people close to them?"

"At least acquaintances," he responded, "but often by those they love."

"That must be so scary," she said, "To trust someone and love them and then they take your life away from you."

"I think it's about power and control," he said, "Some men just like to dominate women."

She looked at her hands.

"Like Grant and Julia."

"But she got away from him," Matt said, "which isn't easy."

C.J. agreed with that assessment knowing from experience what a struggle it had been for Julia to accept the truth about the dangerous man she loved. But the price paid for that truth had been high. What had Mallory experienced before her death, had she looked into the face of a man she had loved, the face of her killer?

"I wonder if Mallory was trying to get away from someone."

Matt couldn't guess if that had been the case or not with C.J.'s friend. Since it had taken so long for the police to find her body, he wondered if anyone would ever know, but the place to start would be interviewing those closest to her and then expanding that social circle outward into wider orbits.

"I wish there was something I could do to help her."

He heard the sense of futility in her voice that an act of violence could just snatch someone away like that, robbing them of their dreams and of all the things still left to experience. It was something he had often felt himself and he wanted change that in the lives of people in that situation. Maybe his planned foray into investigative work would be an avenue to make some serious inroads in accomplishing that at least for some people out there who had nowhere else to turn.

"Maybe we can," he said, "I've got my investigative license now and I'm ready to put it to use."

She looked up at him thoughtfully.

"I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"I'm counting on that," he said, "Now come on, time to go back to bed."

She smiled and got up off the couch and with one last look, they headed back to their separate bedrooms.

After slipping beneath the covers, she curled against her pillow to try to sleep but her mind continued to work overtime. She knew that being an investigator had been a lifelong dream of Matt's ever since he had been kidnapped when he had been a little boy. That experience had scarred him for years, even though he had learned quickly to push it out of his mind so that his father wouldn't fret over him, concerned laced with guilt over the fact that he couldn't keep him safe.

She knew he would be good at this investigation thing, being good at nearly everything else he had ever tried in his life. A star quarterback in college, good enough to go pro and already the CEO of a company on the Fortune 500 list.

It wouldn't be soon enough to help Mallory but surely someone else who needed it.

* * *

Matt jogged down the switchbacks that had cursed his mornings since he had first arrived to his mountain retreat but in the past several days, they hadn't appeared as formidable as they had seemed in the beginning. His legs were adjusting to traveling up and down steep mountain trails and both his endurance and his speed had improved greatly. As he ran, he didn't feel like he was being pulled to one side or the other by vertigo and the nausea that had come with movement had passed. He almost felt like normality approached and that he might soon reach it.

He whipped off his sweat-drenched shirt before he reached the bottom, keeping mindful of the hot sun which seemed to bounce off the rock faces of the canyon. He had always loved the outdoors whether it had been the chaparral surroundings of his ranch back in Texas or the sandy beaches of Southern California and the mountains, as well. Even when they kicked his butt when he hiked them and tested his resolve.

The stream still bubbled gently at the bottom and he knew its benign appearance could prove deceptive if the storm clouds ever dumped a torrential rain and flooded the canyon. Anything in the path of the raging river confined by the walls would be swept away.

He had learned that the hard way back in Texas and had no desire to test it here. No clouds dotted the sky today and he stopped to rest a little while, his breath slowing. The dust filled the air where a rabbit had scampered in the bottom to flee his path.

The death of Mallory had hit C.J. hard, he realized and he hadn't known what to say to her. He wondered what had happened to the young woman who had disappeared one day and then wound up dead. The odds heavily favored that the killer had been someone she had crossed paths with before or even knew but he couldn't rule out the possibility that it might have been a stranger. Had there been other deaths of young women in L.A., he tried to remember. Nothing that had appeared similar as far as he could recall. Of course his failed attempt to find Will and the injuries which had resulted had kept him busy and his mind off of most of what had been taking place in the world around him.

L.A. could be a beautiful, vital place but it had its deadly side as well and this woman had collided with its worst. He felt frustration fill him as he wished he could do more than just hear stories like that told by C.J. and what he read in the newspaper. He had felt the same when a friend had confided to him about a missing relative or someone who had been in trouble, but they had lacked the resources to do anything.

Matt knew he could change that reality if he got his agency up and running. But he still had to complete healing himself first.

* * *

"Murray, Houston's out doing his exercise," C.J. said, while sitting on the deck eating breakfast.

The accountant had called her for some reason and not Matt but had little to say about the background check that the company had been conducting on Grant. She felt she had been on egg shells whenever the subject came up. But Murray hadn't found anything that had set any alarms in him…except that Matt had mentioned his engagement in domestic violence.

C.J. hated those two words because they seemed limited in describing what had happened to Julia and what she had experienced at the hands of Grant. Maybe if they called it something else, it might be taken more seriously by law enforcement and the justice system. Because back when Julia had nearly been killed by Grant, the system had been woefully inadequate at protecting her beyond giving her a court order that had caused more problems than it had solved.

"I think I might have found something on Grant."

She nearly stopped breathing, and for a moment, felt queasy.

"What is it Murray?"

"He was picked up by police about a year ago," Murray said, "but released a few hours later."

Okay, that was something else then. Of course there would always be something else with a man like him because all he knew about was getting what he wanted. If that meant hurting people, he didn't let that stop him.

"For what?"

"A woman disappeared from New Haven," Murray said, "She had been last seen leaving a club with him."

C.J. sucked in her breath.

"Why did they let him go?"

Murray paused.

"Because they didn't have anything on him," he said, "They questioned him for a couple hours but then his lawyer arrived and they released him."

"So they might bring him back in for another interview?"

"They haven't done that so far," Murray said, "I think the case went cold though they never found the woman."

And C.J. guessed that the odds highly favored that they never would…at least not alive. Her head spun as she realized that everything she had known about Grant still stacked up as next to nothing. Not if he was involved in other violent acts against women.

How deep did it go and did she really want to know?

Murray cleared his throat.

"Anything else you need?"

C.J. thought quickly.

"Maybe get the police reports on that New Haven incident and see if he was ever called in by any other jurisdiction."

"Got you…"

Murray hung up and C.J. clicked off her phone, looking out into the forest.

Matt walked out carrying his glass of iced tea to join her where she sat reading on the deck. She had picked up the mystery novel again but hadn't seemed to make much progress. Clearly her mind had been elsewhere again.

"Murray called about Grant," she said, "and how he had been picked up for questioning."

"When was that?"

She moved over when he sat down next to her.

"About a year ago back east," she said, "disappearance of another young woman who left a club with him."

Matt sighed, understanding that the financial whiz that Murray had been trying so hard to hire definitely had a dark side even beyond what C.J. had reported. At least Julia had survived her relationship with him but had other women who crossed his path been less fortunate?

He wondered if Mallory had any ties to Grant that might have been gotten her into trouble, even been fatal.

"Mallory was your sorority sister," Matt said, suddenly.

C.J. put her novel down and nodded.

"She pledged a year ahead of Julia and I," she said, "She was my sponsor."

"So she and Grant…"

C.J. looked up at him, her eyes narrowing.

"Yeah I'm sure their paths crossed," she said, "I mean he was a frat guy and hung out at the house."

Matt arched a brow.

"They're both in L.A. at the same time," he said, "Maybe it's not a coincidence. They're both in the financial industry."

C.J. nodded.

"Why would he kill her," she said, "They never associated much beyond attending the same social events."

Matt sipped his tea.

"There might be some other connection between them we don't know about, something that brought them back together."

"True," she said, "But last time I had lunch with her she never mentioned him at all."

"Maybe it's more recent…"

"She'd been missing for at least a week Houston," she said, "Maybe longer."

He leaned back on the sofa.

"It can't be a coincidence that they knew each other, he had a violent streak against women and now she's dead."

C.J. couldn't argue with that and she didn't need anyone even Matt telling her about Grant's tendency to use violence. But if he had been responsible for Mallory's death, they definitely needed to find out.

"She loved her job and she had friends that she spent with, no relationships with men at the time," she said.

"If we can get an address from Murray on where he hangs up his hat at work and play that would help."

"The cop I spoke with told me to talk to the detective assigned to her case," she said, "Some guy named Phil Clifford."

"Are you going to tell him about Grant," Matt asked.

He watched her face for an answer and saw a degree of trepidation there.

"Should I?"

"C.J. if you give him Grant's name and why discretely," Matt said, "then he can do some background digging without him being any the wiser."

She thought about that and then nodded. He reached out to stroke her hair back and she felt soothed by that. So many feelings some older than others filled her at the idea that Grant could be a cold blooded killer of women.

Which made her think about how fortunate that Julia had been to escape from him and her friend hadn't been the only one. Matt felt the turmoil within her beneath his fingers but he still didn't have his answers. But she leaned against him, closing her eyes for a moment.

Then her cell phone rang and she looked at it, her eyes widening when she saw the name on it.

Grant Sullivan.


	12. Chapter 12

Another chapter of this story is up! Thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Julia and C.J. knew he would be standing outside the apartment even before they looked outside their window.

"He's not going away," Julia said, "I told him I didn't want to see him anymore."

Julia's face still bore bruises which had only started to fade from reddish purple which darkened beneath her eyes and had spread into her forehead. Her arm remained in a plaster cast that had already been signed by most of the sorority sisters.

"We could call the police again," C.J. said, "but they're probably busy breaking up some frat parties and it might take them a while to get here."

"Why is he just standing there and watching us?"

C.J. had seen him dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt with the name of his frat on it, just staring and she wasn't even sure if he could actually see them through the window. If it hadn't been for the streetlight, they might not have noticed him at all.

"You need to get a TRO," C.J. said.

Julia turned to look at her.

"A what?"

"You know a restraining order," she said, "You fill out the paperwork and then you appear in front of the judge and they decide if there's just cause to grant or deny it."

Julia made a face.

"They'll just deny it," she said, "You know all men stick together."

That had certainly been the case of the frat boys protecting Grant and his reputation. Three of them had watched Grant grab Julia's arm in an argument and twist it, and when C.J. had asked them about it later, none of them admitted seeing a thing.

"If they're subpoenaed," C.J. said, "They'll have to tell the truth."

Julia shrugged.

"It won't do any good," she said, "They'll still lie to cover each other and no judge will call them on it. The members of this fraternity are the best and the brightest…and the wealthiest."

C.J. paced around the living room.

"There must be something we can do," she said, "It's downright creepy with him looking at the apartment like that."

"It's also not against the law," Julia reminded her.

"I know, it's a public street but I think there's a law against something called stalking."

Julia shook her head.

"Any law that can help women protect themselves from crazy men is a step behind reality."

C.J. knew her friend was right, the legal system still was run and largely belonged to men and women used it to protect themselves to no avail often putting themselves at greater risk of harm. But Julia had already been injured by the man who professed to love her for some transgression that only he knew about. His reasons for hurting her only made sense to him.

"He's not going to do anything," she said, "He hasn't built himself back up into the violent stage yet."

"Yeah he tried to apologize to me again," Julia said, "but I told him I wasn't interested. He thinks if he's persistent enough, I'll change my mind."

"You're not going to do that this time are you Julia?"

Her friend looked resolute.

"I don't want to die from him," she said, "I've got my life I want to live and a lot of things I want to do with it."

Julia sounded determined enough but she usually did until Grant did or said something to weaken her resolve, to actually get her to feel sorry for him, as if she did something wrong. Then they got back together again and things were peaceful for a while.

But it never lasted long.

Grant just kept standing there, like a statue even as passerby moved around him, just other college students going places and not paying him much mind. They didn't have that luxury because if he slipped into a dangerous stage, who knew what might happen next?

If only they had known.

* * *

C.J. blinked and looked to catch his name again on her cell phone. She looked at Matt and then disentangled from him. She didn't want to because it had felt nice to lean on him like that, safe and secured against a past she didn't want to think about.

He looked up at her as she stood up and walked away.

"What's going on?"

She just smiled at him.

"I've got to take a call," she said, "I'll be back."

On the fifth ring, she clicked on her phone before voice mail could catch it.

"What do you want Grant," she said, "I know this isn't a business call."

He sighed on the other end.

"It's not," he said, "That employee of Matt's found out about my being picked up in New Haven a year ago."

"It did come up in your background search as a matter of fact."

"It's nothing," he said, "They had the police round up over a 100 men who were tall and with dark hair."

"Including you," she said.

"They asked me a few questions and then let me go," he said, "I never heard from them again and I don't expect to as I had nothing to tell them."

"Really…"

"Yes really," he said, "Why would you think otherwise?"

She paused.

"Because I know you."

That got met with silence on his end of the line.

"It wasn't that bad was it?"

She rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"What do you want me to tell you," she said, "that you're not someone who abuses women? That people guessed you all wrong?"

She thought she heard him chuckling.

"My calling you unnerves you doesn't it," he asked.

"Not as much as you'd like," she said, "but if you're smart Grant, you'll go shop for a job at another company."

"Houston Enterprises came searching for me," he said, "This Murray guy did everything but promise me the presidency to get me to work there."

"I think you'll find his enthusiasm for you has faded somewhat," she said, "Your background's not going to be looking so good."

"You know what I'll do if I don't get this job," he said, "I'll send that envelope."

She had no doubt that he would do just that.

"Go ahead and do it," she said, "Then I'm really going to make sure you don't get that job."

"Fine…Keep an eye out for it…"

She heard the line click off on his end and held her phone in her hand. Then she put it away, knowing that he might deliver on his threat. She couldn't be positive because he could be bluffing but somehow she didn't think so.

* * *

Matt looked up at her as she returned to the living room.

"That must have been some phone call."

Damn he had always been good at reading her.

"Not really," she said, "Where did we leave off?"

He watched her closely as she sat back beside him.

"I think at the part where you were going to tell the detective on Mallory's case what you know."

She sighed.

"It's not really that much," she said, "Yes she and Grant crossed paths but that doesn't mean that he killed her."

"But he could have done it," Matt said, "if she proved to be a threat to him."

"Why would that be Houston," C.J. asked, "She was the nicest woman, everyone loved her back then and I'm pretty sure they do now."

"Someone didn't love her at all."

Matt seemed so sure that Grant had been responsible for Mallory's death even though there had been no evidence linking the two of them except that both of them pledged Greek when they had attended college in Berkeley.

Unless there was something that they had missed…but although they hadn't seen each regularly, C.J. had lunch with her sorority sister every couple of months and in that time, Grant's name had never come up. Surely, it would have in some context if there had been some contact between the two of them. Even in passing but no, nothing. Mallory had appeared really happy and fulfilled the last time they had met at a popular eatery for several hours spent catching up as they always did and in having a good time.

Always promising that they would keep in closer touch and never having the time to follow through on it. Now, of course, it would be too late and C.J. felt some deep regret that she hadn't made more overtures towards Mallory. If the other woman had any difficulty in her personal or professional life that made her a target for a killer, then maybe if C.J. had been able to pick up something…

She really couldn't play these games of whipping up alternate scenarios to what had actually happened. After all, she hadn't seen this murder coming so it made little sense to think she should have anticipated it.

Matt watched the emotions struggle for control of her face and he definitely knew something was up. He didn't know who had been on the phone but it had shaken up his best friend. Had it anything to do with Grant or had it been something related to that earlier restraining order?

Or, did he dare to ask, the two related? But if so, how because Grant had physically endangered and harmed Julia, the woman he had professed to love, even sending her to the hospital after one of his rages. So why would a restraining order be taken out against him by C.J.?

He definitely had to get to the bottom of this situation, this mystery that had taken residence on C.J.'s face.

She just sat there beside him, her hands on her lap and her mind clearly elsewhere.

"C.J., you feeling okay," he said, "You've been awfully quiet."

She just shrugged her shoulder slightly so he might have almost missed it if his mind hadn't been completely on here.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

She shot him a quick look.

"I'm fine, really Houston," she said, "I'm not the one who got hurt remember?"

"That's just a general question C.J., after you just returned from a phone call that clearly has left you preoccupied."

She shook her head.

"It was just business…"

"Was it Murray," Matt asked, "He wouldn't call you this late at night."

She hesitated, her eyes flitting around the room. Why was she seeking escape again from him of all people, her friend? Or was it from something or someone else, like Grant?

"Did he…ever do anything," Matt asked, "Grant I mean…"

She looked at him narrowing her eyes.

"He hurt Julia, isn't that enough," she said, "and it nearly took her too long to get away from him."

He leaned forward.

"How did she finally do that?"

C.J. just looked at him, biting her lip.

"She just did…she got a restraining order…"

She hadn't been the only one then, Matt determined, both of them had gotten orders but had they been against the same man? He thought about asking C.J. about that but he knew that once the question slipped past his mouth, he would lose her again. She already had one foot outside the room, ready to take an exit if he pressed too closely.

He would have to save her questions for later to really get the answers he wanted, to get closer to the truth.

The one she guarded so closely. Why, he had no idea since there existed very few secrets between them but they had one now. He gazed at her for a long time before getting off the sofa.

"I'm heading to bed," he said, "It's been a long day."

It had indeed certainly for him but for here as well. She watched him look at her one last time before he headed to his bedroom. She wanted to call him back and tell him what she had kept to herself for what seemed like a long time.

But what checked her and stopped her in her tracks was a question.

If she told him what happened, how would he react, and how would he see her?


	13. Chapter 13

Here's the latest of this FF story. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

C.J. adjusted the pillow where she had rested her head and then resumed staring at the ceiling. God, sleep was really elusive tonight, she thought. She had felt tired, almost as if she would drift right to sleep but the moment she hit the bed, it felt like her mind wouldn't stop running a mile a minute. She knew that Matt sensed something was up with her but what could she say? She didn't want to revisit that chapter of her past and it wouldn't do any good anyway.

The moonlight streamed into her bedroom and she thought about just forgetting about sleep. Maybe that novel she had been reading could tire her out enough to sleep. One of her text books from law school would probably do a better job at putting her out.

But while she wanted sleep, she didn't want to dream.

About him, the man who Murray had been trying so hard to get hired by Houston Enterprises until Matt had assigned him to run a background check and it hadn't taken long for a red flag to get tossed up in the form of a police contact that Grant had when a girl he was seen with had turned up missing.

And apparently never been found.

C.J. doubted she would ever be found at least alive. She had most definitely run into foul play when she had left the club. Had it been at the hands of Grant, the man she left with?

That she didn't know but she had her suspicions, especially after this last phone call. Grant had thought that she was going to tell Matt when he had threatened to send out that envelope. She didn't care about that as much as she cared about Grant getting his tentacles into Matt's corporation. She still didn't know why he wanted to be hired.

When he had been younger, he had been pursuing women like Julia for their inheritances, the money they would receive as daughters from wealthy fathers. He had made his own money along with his own success since he hit the business world but what he might want now was status, the type that came from holding an important position at a Fortune 500 company like Houston Enterprises.

She just couldn't allow that but now it almost appeared to be a moot point because Matt didn't want to hire him. Not when he had heard about Julia's ordeal and about the women who vanished around him. He hadn't even heard about what had happened to her and she hoped she wouldn't have to tell him. That what he uncovered already about Grant would be enough to dissuade him.

Matt had spent the past few weeks addressing his own failures and even shortcomings due largely to the injuries he had struggled to recover from and he seemed to have this picture of her as never having faced any boundaries of her own. That she had always been very bright and very applied towards achieving her goals. Not knowing the meaning of setbacks or failures on the way to the path she had carved for herself.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

* * *

Matt had fallen asleep as soon as head hit the pillow and this thoughts had drifted out of his mind. And he had fallen back into dreamland, a jungle intertwined with the stark hillsides of the open desert. The sun shone down on him as he walked first in mud which left his boots feeling like suction cups with each step taken, until the lighting had changed and he found his feet sinking into the sand which dazzled him with its radiance.

The wind picked up blowing it around him, fine particles striking his face with tiny barbs. He tried to brush it away with his hands. Suddenly ahead he saw a figure dressed in fatigues, his face hidden in shadow.

"Matt, where are you?"

He looked up and saw Will standing there, a cloud of dust which swirled around him like fog.

"I can't find you…"

That's what Matt heard himself say, as he ran towards his cousin, his legs feeling heavy. Almost as if he were running in molasses but he finally reached Will and tried to grab his arms to keep him from sinking further in the swirling tornado of dust. But despite his best efforts, Will kept slipping further. In fact, it seemed the harder he pulled, the quicker his cousin would disappear inside.

"Matt…just let go…"

He could barely hear his voice over the swirling wind.

"I can't…"

He woke up with a start, his body broken out into a sweat and looked into the darkness. Shadows danced on the walls from the moonlight and the clock next to him hummed. His heart began slowing down back to normal and his muscles relaxed, after having been ready for him to leap into action if necessary.

Sighing, he collapsed on his back and stared up at the ceiling, trying to grab hold of the images of his dream before they slipped away. He had been trying to rescue his cousin, this time from some form of quicksand in the middle of what looked like a dust storm. This made sense because the last time he had seen his cousin before he disappeared were when both of them had been stationed in the Middle East. Clearly, he had still been ruminating over the loss of his cousin in his sleep even though he had begun to come to terms with not being able to find him in Latin America during the daylight hours. Maybe he should have taken C.J.'s suggestion and consulted a therapist but he had felt that if he did so, he would be admitting weakness.

He got out of bed and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water which he drunk down quickly not realizing his thirst. The woods around the cabin were so peaceful at night, barring some noises made by scurrying animals in the brush and the chirping of the crickets outside the door. But he didn't miss much the boisterous and chaotic noises of life in a metropolis.

Images came to mind of the gun he had discovered earlier falling out of C.J.'s purse. The one he hadn't known that she owned or even when she had purchased it. He had meant to ask her about it but he didn't know what her reaction would be, given how touchy she appeared to be about certain issues lately.

Like anything to do with Grant Sullivan.

He hadn't liked what he had heard so far from Murray about the guy. At this point, he knew that he sure as hell wasn't hiring him. But the discovery of Mallory's body not far from where he had worked and given that she had ties to him from attending college in Berkeley…something definitely didn't appear right here.

And he knew that C.J. knew more about that than she was telling him. As long as he had known her, they had been friends who really didn't keep many secrets from each other but they had that period when they'd gone to separate universities and she'd been at Harvard and he in the military when they hadn't seen each other that much. A lot could have happened during that time and apparently it did.

He headed back to bed hoping that sleep would find him.

* * *

C.J. saw him out by the lake again trying to fish again. He had a bottle of beer sitting next to him and a b bag of what looked like pizza chips.

"Catch anything," she asked.

Vince looked up at her and smiled.

"A couple of bites but nothing substantial," he said, "My wife had her heart set on fried trout but we might have to do with Mama's pizza instead."

C.J. chuckled.

"Sounds like you have a lively family."

He nodded ruefully.

"I love them I do," he said, "but I do need to get away for a while and spend some quiet time fishing."

She sat down beside him, looking out into the lake.

"So do I."

He shot her an inquisitive look, the kind that reminded her she was sitting with a cop.

"Your boyfriend really drives you that crazy."

"He's not by boyfriend," he's a male…friend."

Vince studied her.

"Can guys and girls be friends without getting it on with each other?"

She folded her arms.

"Of course they can," she said, "He has a Rolodex of women back at the office."

"But not with him here," Vince said, "I see…I think."

"It's kind of complicated," she said, "He got hurt, badly several months ago and he's coming here to heal up so he can…"

"Do it all over again," Vince finished, "I know the type. You're looking at him."

She eyed him carefully.

"That happened to you," she asked, "You look so…healthy."

"Oh I am right now," he said, "I couldn't be otherwise with an Italian wife and an Italian mother ganging up on me."

"You've got a point," she said, "but it's hard not to worry…"

"That it is," he agreed, "but that too shall pass."

* * *

Matt had arisen early and gone on his run, one of his favorites so far because the heat had let up a tad bit and he had made it down to the bottom without stopping once. His legs hadn't cramped and he turned around nearly immediately and headed on back up, so he made very good time. But when he hit the kitchen for refreshment, he had expected to see C.J. there and not a note explaining that she had headed down to the lake to do some…reading.

He had hoped that they could get together, fix up some food and go hiking or on a picnic, because he didn't feel tired at all from his run. That told him that his stamina and strength were truly returning, something indeed to celebrate. She might joke at him and direct him to that so-called Rolodex of his but he only wanted to celebrate with her.

He did check his messages and found that Murray had called so he called him back.

"What's up?"

Murray exploded into a barrage of words as he usually did, this time about how the stock for Houston Enterprises had hit the roof in only four hours of trading. Matt made sure he said all the right things so that Murray wouldn't go into an hour long monologue on corporate commitment and fiscal responsibility. Not that Matt didn't take great pride in what he had accomplished with his company in just a handful of years but lately, he had been chafing at the bid to try something else. And what he really wanted to do was start his own investigative firm.

Maybe take baby steps to start with until he got it on its feet but eventually…he would love to handle his conglomerate to someone else to run while he investigated cases full-time. All he had to do was to talk C.J. his usual partner in business and crime to buy into his dream, one that had been developing inside of him since he was a young boy.

Right now though he still had to keep his mind on business including right now while taking a vacation from his company right in the middle of a forest.

"Murray, that's why I trust you to handle things while I'm laid up here," Matt told him, "I'll be rested up to return next week but in the meantime, I am depending on you to hold down the fort."

Murray's voice weakened a bit.

"You want me?"

"Yes you Murray," Matt continued, "I knew you had the ability to be a leader and manager when I hired you."

He thought he head Murray fluffing up his feathers on the other end of the line.

"I won't let you down big guy," he said, "Anything else?"

Matt sighed.

"No just keep me posted on the situation with Grant," he said, "From what you've told me so far Murray, I don't think I want to hire him."

He heard his accountant hesitate for a moment and realized that within Murray, a dream had just died but he knew that underneath it all, he truly cared about the people in the company and wouldn't cotton to anyone who mistreated them no matter how impressive the resume.

"I'll get back to you Murray."

"Oh another thing boss," Murray said in a rush, "Grant has called to check on his status."

Matt thought quickly.

"Just keep him on hold as long as you can," he said, "to give our HR guy enough time to run a comprehensive background on him."

Matt wanted as much ammunition as he could get on the guy for other reasons besides business. And if C.J. weren't going to share anything further on him, he would find it out another way.

* * *

C.J. laughed as she watched Vince struggle to reel in a pretty impressive looking trout.

"That's a really nice one," she said, "It ought to feed one really hungry person."

"That would be any one of my kids."

Vince finally pulled the fish out and after removing the hook, dropped it in the fish basket. C.J. smiled when she saw the look of accomplishment on the city cop's face.

"It must be nice to come from a large family," she said, "I never knew my parents past childhood and I didn't have any brothers or sisters."

"Any cousins?"

"Not that I know of," she said, "they'd be long-lost if I had them."

Vince grew silent for a moment.

"They have a cause of death for Mallory," he said, "She was strangled after being beaten."

C.J. put her hand over her mouth.

"Oh my god," she said, "How did they know?"

"A very extensive autopsy," he said, "including some forensic testing. They dug out tissue from beneath her nails that probably belongs to her killer."

"She put up a fight then."

"It seems that way."

C.J. looked out over the lake for a while and Vince picked up something in her manner that told his cop instincts that she had something to tell him. Only not all of her wanted to share it so he just waited patiently.

"Vince…I think I might know who might have killed her."

He looked at her suddenly.

"What do you mean," he said, "You can give me a name."

She hesitated.

"I don't know for sure if it's him…and it's probably not and maybe it's premature to say this but I think it's a man named Grant Sullivan."

Vince nodded.

"Names familiar."

That surprised her and she looked at him inquisitively.

"His firm was within the canvassing area and some members of his firm were interviewed but not him," Vince said, "He wasn't at work that day."

"I don't know if I should have told you because it couldn't be him…"

"Yet clearly you aren't convinced of that," he said, "because you did give me his name."

She pursed her lips trying to figure out how to lay out her suspicions and again he just waited. She took a small rock and tossed it in the lake.

"Grant Sullivan went to Berkeley at the same time that I and Mallory attended," she said, "In fact, he pledged a fraternity that heavily socialized with the sorority that we joined."

That had caught Vince's attention.

"Did they know each other?"

"Not very well," she said, "their paths mostly crossed at parties…but she did know about what happened to Julia."

"Who's Julia?"

"Oh I'm sorry," C.J. said, "She's one of my best friends and also a sorority sister. She went out with Grant for about a year before he…"

"He what?"

C.J. looked at her hands.

"He abused her," she said, "Physically. A couple times he sent her to the hospital with bruises and broken bones."

"Did she leave him or did she keep going back to him?"

Clearly Vince knew the dynamics of domestic violence and those wrapped up in it but then again, he was a cop.

"Both…at first she went back to him before the bruises had even healed but finally…she broke away and he was arrested but not for long."

Vince nodded, understanding the revolving door of the system.

"He got out just as quickly as they brought him in."

She nodded.

"And it made him even more volatile with Julia?"

"He started stalking her," she said, "and she couldn't get him to stop…the police were no help."

"Often they're not," Vince said, "They can't be everywhere at once and frankly, few of them get the training to understand the complicated dynamics of domestic violence."

"It got worse," C.J. said, "and really frightening to see what he was capable of doing."

He looked at her face.

"You sound like you know from experience."

And her face changed but she covered that quickly enough.

"Maybe…but more recently, he was picked up for questioning for the disappearance of a woman back East," she said, "They let him go after questioning him."

"Let me guess…he was the last person to be seen with her."

"They left a night club together not long before she vanished…"

Vince sighed.

"Listen, I'll pass this information along to the investigators on Mallory's case when I call them later."

She nodded pensively.

"Mallory was a really beautiful woman," she said, "Filled with spirit and a love of life that was contagious. No one had a right to destroy that."

Vince looked at her.

"We'll look into this Grant Sullivan and see what we can find on him," he said, "beginning by calling those cops that pulled him in for an interview."

C.J. nodded, feeling some relief. Vince had proven to be a nice guy to talk to about her suspicions about Grant. She looked at him, wondering if she could trust him. The fact that he was nearly a stranger to her actually made her believe that maybe she could, in ways she couldn't to her closer friends.

Like Matt.

She bit her lip wondering if she could dare reveal more about the man she believed to be a murderer.


	14. Chapter 14

Another installment up, hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Matt had gotten off the phone with Murray, hoping that the accountant would get back to the HR guy to look deeper into Grant's background. He wished he could be more hands on with it but he had promised to stay in his cabin in the mountain and recuperate from his injuries. His father and no doubt C.J. would give him grief if she did otherwise.

She had always tried to look out after him when she didn't think he took the time to do it himself or he had been too preoccupied with other things. His father and she had been there at his bedside when he had woken up, in great pain and feeling torn apart by the revelation that he had come home without his cousin.

Because after all the reports that Will had been seen had been nothing but lies which her told by men intent on kidnapping him for ransom. Not that it had worked out for them because he had gotten away, albeit not without suffering long-lasting injuries. But the hospital and the time in rehabilitation had helped him a great deal, though not as much as the time spent at his mountain cabin.

At first he had hating it, getting up with the dawn each morning and hiking through the rigorous terrain of the nearby canyon. Avoiding the sweltering heat most of the time until he caught it during the tail end of his exercise and collapsed in the shade when he returned. He had improved his strength and endurance greatly as each day and each mile passed but it had been bittersweet. When he had been younger, he and Will had hiked the wilderness that surrounded their ranches, catching some good fishing at the river that awaited them. They had attended basic training together assigned to the same squad and had spent hours each day running in formation with other men and women under the terse orders barked by drill sergeants.

Even when he hiked alone now in the heat, he thought of his cousin, whose fate remained unknown but with the passage of time, he felt the realization hit him again that they might never learn what happened to him. And that life still continued onward with many of its questions unanswered and those with the questions just had to accept that and move on but the false starts in the case with his cousin hadn't helped matters.

When C.J. had signed on to come with him to the cabin, he hadn't been happy about it in the least. He had just wanted to spend time out in the wilderness to face it, feel sorry for himself and maybe drink himself silly. But she had been awfully effective at forcing him to not just focus on his recovery but take a good look at himself. Instead of sinking further in the abyss, she had helped him keep him see the other side of it.

But she had brought along with her mysteries of her own.

So far, he had uncovered an aged copy of a restraining order against an unidentified individual and a handgun in her purse. Why she needed one to protect herself in the mountains, he had no idea. He had brought his own but that had been more of a reflexive action. With her, he sensed it had been deeper than that. But with C.J. he had learned when to ask questions and when to hold back and wait for her to approach him.

Well he had waited and she had provided information piecemeal and with some prodding on his part, mostly about some history involving this Grant Sullivan who had been the targeting of a headhunting strategy by his corporation.

Only as it turned out this golden boy or financial wizard as he had been called including in the _Wall Street Journal _had more than just a checkered past. He had physically abused Julia in a relationship, sending her to the hospital and had been interviewed by police investigators in connection to the disappearance of a woman last seen with him.

And Matt knew there was much more than that.

He just didn't know what and he didn't know if he would ever hear what from Murray or his company's HR division. Nor from C.J. either.

The door opened and in she walked, her face looking relaxed from her time at the lake no doubt. He didn't begrudge her at all for the time she spent there by herself.

"Hi, so how was your walk," he asked.

"I stopped by the lake for a while," she said, "That cop I told you about was fishing for his dinner again."

"Catch anything?"

"A couple good-sized trout," she said, "His family will be eating well tonight."

"Has he learned anything about Mallory's murder," Matt asked.

She looked pensive as she joined him on the sofa.

"She was strangled Houston," she said, "and she fought hard for her life."

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"Any leads?"

She sighed.

"None so far…but I told him about Grant…"

That surprised Matt and he didn't hide it.

"You must have had reason to do that," he said, "Is it because of what happened with Julia?"

She nodded.

"And the fact that he had crossed paths with Mallory in college," she said, "and maybe more recently for all that we know."

Matt agreed that it could have been possible that Grant and Mallory had known each other in other ways being in the same line of work and their workplaces being relatively close to each other. Had their paths crossed and if so, in what way?

Had something happened that had gotten Mallory killed?

"So what did he say about all this?"

"He's going to pass it along to the detectives on her case," she said, "but I told him I didn't know anything for sure about Grant."

"I don't think he would expect that you do."

"I just can't believe what happened to Mallory," she said, "Houston, she never said an unkind word against anyone. Not as far as I know."

"I suspect that he's involved or might have know something about her death," he said, "He had a prior contact and close proximity to her. That doesn't add up to something positive in my book."

Not in C.J.'s either but she knew what Grant was capable of when it came to hurting women. Murder wasn't outside his list of capabilities and there were many areas of his life, time periods that they knew nothing about.

A frightening realization for C.J. just imagining it. A sense of coldness suddenly filled her.

"I just can't imagine why he would do it," she said, "What his motive was unless there was more between them than I knew."

"You said he has a volatile history with Julia."

She nodded.

"But like I said, he just knew Mallory in passing," she said, "Saw her at parties and such. She wasn't his physical type for one thing."

"If he did kill her, maybe it was for a different reason."

She tried to think but she couldn't come up with any motive if she hadn't actually been in a relationship with him. The Grant she knew abused the women that he supposedly loved, she didn't know the side that might kill women. But perhaps if they had been women he had been to control and dominate, he could have crossed the line to murder.

"Why then?"

"Maybe she witnessed something," Matt said, "or she remembered something that had happened in the past and he felt he had to kill her to keep it from coming out."

"You've been thinking about this a bit haven't you?"

"So have you."

She bit back a retort knowing he had a point there. She couldn't stop thinking about what the last moments of Mallory's life must have been like. But had Grant's face been the last one she had ever seen?

She shivered at that thought.

"Maybe they'll be able to gather enough suspicion to at least haul in Grant for questioning," Matt said.

She shook her head.

"They'll never do that," she said, "He's got enough money now to surround himself with people to block access. Enough money for lawyers who will throw enough paperwork at the police to stop them."

"I don't think he'll get too far if he does all that."

She just stared at him.

"Of course he will," she said, "That's how it's always worked. He's gotten away with everything he's ever done."

She caught herself before the emotion slipped away from her. But Matt looked up at her closely anyway.

"What else happened back then that you haven't told me about?"

She ran her hand through her hair, not looking back.

"Nothing that matters…"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

She looked up then and he saw sadness in her eyes.

"Exactly what I said Houston," she said, "And it's all over and done with."

"Doesn't sound that way," he said, "whatever it was that happened."

"I just learned through Julia's experience that some people are truly above the law," she said, "and there's nothing you can do to change that."

He eyed her carefully.

"Not even getting a restraining order…"

She looked at him sharply, wariness creeping into her eyes.

"What…"

He saw her reaction and continued.

"Julia got one didn't she?"

C.J. relaxed slightly.

"Well yes, but it didn't keep him away," she said, "It's just a piece of paper with writing on it after all. It doesn't mean anything."

"It's the law's way of protecting people," he said, "The problem is in the enforcement end."

She sighed.

"I wouldn't argue with that."

She suddenly felt tired, not seeing the point of discussing this with him. After all, nothing could change the past and nothing could be gained by ruminating over it.

"I'm getting something to eat," she said, "Want anything?"

"I think there's some soup," he said, "I already ate but there's plenty left."

She went to go get herself some relieved to be away from his scrutiny. He asked so many questions just like the investigator that he wanted to be, questions that she didn't want to answer. And with him, it just was easier to walk away.

But it hadn't always been that way.

* * *

They had been exhausted by the time they reached the hotel outside the main strip in Vancouver, the halfway on their whirlwind business trip around the continent, promoting the new company to prospective investors. They had traveled from one end of the country to the other and were finishing up their first tour in a few select metropolises in Canada.

C.J .had loved Vancouver at first sight as they drove through the city in their rental car. They crashed their luggage at the hotel and then cruised the sights before heading off to a business presentation and dinner in one of the city's best restaurants just off the coast of the open waters which lay between Vancouver and various islands and fjords. She had wished they could stay longer and she could ride the ferry to see the beauty out there but their flight to Toronto left early the next day.

After dinner, they had arrived weary back at the hotel and C.J. had been a bit woozy from all the wine toasts and a bit of celebratory champagne. She had never been a big drinker and it had singed her throat and then left her feeling warm and relaxed, open to just about everything.

Until he started kissing her.

It had all started innocently enough, after they had arrived in the suite which included a living area which opened out onto a balcony between two large bedrooms. She had kicked off her heels, eager to be barefoot and he had undone the black tie that he hated before they both had hit the couch.

She had started babbling about how beautiful everything had been for the umpteenth time and he had chuckled at her and had said that nothing matched her beauty.

She arched her brow at him, looking sideways.

"Houston, that's weak…"

He protested, while he undid the buttons on his shirt cuffs.

"I mean it with everything I've got," he said, holding his hand up, "That I've never seen a woman as lovely…"

She just rolled her eyes at him.

"Maybe I'd better let you have the couch."

He smiled at her, reaching out to stroke her hair, which fell loose from its coiffed bun.

"Now why did you do that?"

Instead of answering her with words, he brushed his mouth against hers. At first, she responded back because hey, she was a woman and their kiss deepened as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Houston…"

"Mmmmm…"

She pulled away so that his hands rested on her shoulders and looked at him.

"What's going on here?"

"What do you think," he said, "Come on C.J. you took biology. Got a better grade in it than I did if I recall."

She put some distance in between them.

"So you thought you'd just try to get lucky," she asked, "because we're thousands of miles away from home?"

He looked at her, still tasting her on his mouth.

"C.J…no, it's just that you're a woman…a beautiful woman and I'm a…"

"A man who happens to be my best friend," she said, folding her arms, "and who's never made any moves on me before I went to law school."

How could he explain it to her that back then, she had been the stalwart buddy that he had grown up with, his partner in crime in many different adventures. Most of the time he hadn't even seen her as a…girl just his best friend.

But when she had walked in that office dressed to impress in a business suit and heels, he had been nearly knocked out of his seat. Her hair had been cut shorter, now curling becomingly off of her shoulders and her figure had filled out and he hadn't known what to think. Her forthright attitude, more like brute honesty approach had still been there, but she had tossed out some flirtatiousness as well that he hadn't expected.

"I don't see what the problem is," he said, "I don't have a girlfriend at the moment and you don't have a boyfriend."

She felt like throwing up her hands.

"How would you know," she said, "You've never asked. It's just never come up."

Because the parameters on their friendship were what they were, sticking to camaraderie and companionship and staying away from other areas…like sex. But now he was coming on strong and she had no idea where it came from except to chalk it up to jet lag and liquor.

He looked chagrined.

"Okay, I'm sorry then," he said, "I should not have assumed anything except that you're a very attractive, very sexy woman that I wanted to get to know better."

Now she knew it was jet lag and liquor both because he never said these things to her.

"Houston, maybe you should just quit while you're ahead and get some sleep," she said, "No, I'm not going to do the horizontal mamba with you tonight and in the morning, and you're going to think this is just silly."

His face grew serious then.

"I would never think that about you C.J."

"Okay then…a little awkward," she said, "because this isn't us or what we're about Houston. We've always just been friends and I don't want to mess that up because you're bored or lonely."

He nodded.

"Okay I'm sorry that I kissed you…"

C.J. felt a little bad about that because truthfully, she wasn't sorry that he had kissed her at all because her best friend had a pair of lips that he really knew how to use on a woman. All the breathless stories by other women around her had been true after all. But she didn't want to become just another one of them and ever see that in his eyes when he looked at her.

"Look…I just think it's better this way," she said, taking his hand in hers, "but thanks for not pushing the issue and for caring."

He looked at her suddenly.

"I do care about you…a lot," he said, "and I can't tell you how happy I am that we're together…as associates and friends."

She smiled at him.

"Me too…."

C.J. thought to that date when she had to pull the reins on him a bit and he had listened to her and respected her wishes. Matt had never been one to force any issue with a woman as long as she had known them.

So different from other men like Grant who abused and perhaps killed them. And tried to mark their souls in other ways as well.


	15. Chapter 15

Another chapter up! Hope you enjoy it…and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

The next morning, Matt woke up to quietness inside the cabin. He figured that C.J. must still be asleep because she had headed to bed after getting a bit cross at him for his probing into her past. He dressed quickly and grabbed some water from the refrigerator where he had chilled it in a bottle overnight and then headed outside into the brisk air.

The sun had just started rising over the mountains, painting the sky a rosy pink and he could feel the heat already layering the air around him. He felt energized, even a bit restless as he started down the trail at an easy jog before he would ease into his training pace. His legs felt powerful and it became less difficult for him to navigate the jags and turns leading down into the bottom of the canyon.

Small animals scurried about in his path and he heard the hum of insects as they awoke when the sunlight reached them. He tuned all that out while he focused on the conversation with C.J. the night before including when the issue of the restraining issue had arisen. She had clearly tensed up when he mentioned it until he had said that he had been talking about one filed by Julia. He had figured that she had taken that action and he knew that C.J. had and he had begun to suspect that it had been against Grant.

But why apply for one if Grant had been abusing Julia not her? If she had been trying to restrain him, why? There were so many questions that had invaded his mind as he had tried to sleep that it must have kept the dreams about his cousin at bay for the night. But in the morning, his mind had filled again and he figured that he would just sort them out during his exercise. Clearly something had happened with her and Julia after Grant had been arrested, which wouldn't be surprising after all, because all too often domestic violence escalated after legal action had been taken to prevent or stop it. It had to do with the abusive individual believing that his power had been usurped by the person he had been trying to control. The ultimate challenge and test to his authority built on shaky underpinnings. Most people who committed domestic abuse came from abusive situations themselves and were merely replaying the dynamic that they had lived under.

Matt knew next to nothing about Grant's childhood and in fact, nothing had come back under the background on that part of his life yet. Had Grant's own father abused his mother and himself and what action if any had been taken to stop him?

Clearly C.J. and Julia had tried to stop him and something had happened, something that his best friend had never shared with him and didn't seem inclined to change her mind on that now.

He cornered the turn on the sharpest part of the trail before the final switchback to the bottom and thought if Grant had done anything to his friend if he had been around…But Matt had been tossing a pigskin around miles away at Rice University and if he and C.J. hadn't exactly fallen out of touch, they had been busy with their own lives, too much so to focus much on anything outside of their immediate worlds.

Still that had been no excuse if something bad had been happening on her corner of the universe and he hadn't done enough to ensure that he kept in tabs with her enough to know that something had been wrong.

But whatever it had been by the time he had seen her regularly again when she had come to work with him, she had moved on from it.

But had it come back to haunt her?

* * *

C.J. had tossed and turned most of the night, alternately feeling irate at Matt for being nosy and herself for not being nicer to him as she should be. Because he only did it, because he cared a lot about her like she did him. But she had finally drifted off.

Back inside the darkened room that she thought had been the apartment where she and Julia had lived after she left Connie. She had found the door opening easily enough and figured Julia must have been inside but why then had it been so dark?

Then she had seen the shape. The outline of a man and she focused her eyes through the dimness of the room to try to put a name on him. And it took a moment but she finally did.

"Grant…."

He just stood there staring at her.

"What are you doing here so late," she asked.

Then a thought hit her.

"Where's Julia?"

He said nothing just walking towards her, his muscular physique hardened by sports approaching her. She just took a step backward.

"She's not here," he said simply, "I'm here waiting for her return."

She tried to be casual, though her heart pounded inside her chest.

"Grant…you're not supposed to be here…"

That didn't appear to move him.

"Where is she?"

She shook her head.

"I'm not going to tell you Grant," she said, "She doesn't want to see you anymore and she's tired of you hurting her."

"I didn't mean to do that," he said, "I'm here to tell her I won't do it again and to come back with me."

C.J. folded her arms.

"I'm not going to tell you," she said, "And I want you out of here now."

He didn't appear to hear her and he kept approaching.

"You're going to tell me where she is C.J."

She shook her head again while standing her ground.

"No I'm not," she said, "You need to leave…"

His face grew ugly, erasing its handsome features and his hands clenched. Soon he appeared right in front of her.

"You're going to tell me where she is," he said, "or I'm going to make you tell me."

And then he hit her for the first time.

She woke up with a start, sitting on her bed, her heart fluttering in her chest. Sunlight streamed through the window and the cabin appeared quiet. She reached for her robe and got out of bed. Matt didn't seem to be there and she figured he had gone out on his run so she went to fix herself some breakfast. But her appetite had left her this morning as her dream replaced it. She had been back the night it had happened and after looking around at the familiar sight of Matt's cabin, she still hadn't returned. Her hands shook as she cracked open some eggs from the refrigerator.

* * *

After breakfast, she had decided to go to the lake to try to put herself back on an even keel. Matt had returned and hit the shower before joining her for breakfast. He told her as he helped serve the food and butter up the toast that it smelled delicious.

"So what are your plans today," she asked him.

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"I think I'm going to do some work on the cabin," he said, "We'll be hitting monsoons soon enough and I want to make sure the roof's in good shape."

She nodded.

"Need any help?"

"C.J. you really want to sit on a roof and patch it up in the sun?"

She smiled.

"Not really," she said, "but it doesn't seem right for you to do it by yourself."

He looked at her and noticed the lines of tension on her face. Maybe she still remembered their conversation last night and it weighed on her.

"C.J. about last night…"

"Nothing happened last night Houston," she said, "You asked the questions that anyone would have asked. But I told you that Julia's restraining order didn't do much good."

He sipped his juice.

"Often it seems like they provoke a violent response from the person," he noted, "which is the opposite of what they're supposed to accomplish."

"True, but that's because there's really not much enforcement power behind them," C.J. said, "Domestic violence is still seen as a family issue rather than a crime."

Matt knew she was certainly right but he didn't agree with that philosophy at all.

"So he went after her again?"

She didn't answer for a moment but he waited anyway.

"You can say that," she said, putting jelly on her toast, "but Julia's not exactly a lightweight, not nearly as much as she looks."

"What happened?"

"Not much to tell you," she said, "It did finally stop."

Not much of an answer as far as he was concerned. Why did he make it feel that questioning her about it was akin to picking teeth? It definitely wasn't an issue she seemed to want to address so he had to let it go. She was more stubborn than anyone else he knew and if she didn't want to answer a question, she would put up all kinds of defensive walls. But he knew that over time…

She got up to clear the dishes quietly and they both set off to start their days apart.

* * *

C.J. walked for an hour around the lake before wearily settling down on the grassy bank. She hadn't slept much last night so if she settled down here and happened to drift off, well that was fine with her. Hopefully the dream she had last night wouldn't follow her but she realized she had little control over that part of her.

She had brought her novel but she flipped through the pages before leaning back against her favorite tree, closing her eyes. The faint lapping of the water against the shore…the rustling of the leaves in the trees…the noises of animal life around her…all made her relax.

"So you're back here again…."

She opened her eyes quickly and saw Vince settling down next to her with his fishing equipment. She returned her smile.

"You're back here again," she said, "Wife kicked you out again?"

He chuckled.

"She and my mother took the kids into that small village," he said, "to do some shopping not that there's much there."

"There are some shops, a grocery and a nice movie theater that shows vintage films," she offered, "It's kind of nice."

"I'd rather just kick back here and do as much fishing as I can before heading back to work," he said with a sigh.

She studied him.

"Do you like your job?"

He thought about it and nodded.

"Not all the time especially when there's murders going on all around, but I have the chance to use my skills to make a difference."

She looked back at the lake.

"This murder of Mallory," she said, "I can't stop thinking about it. I was going to call that detective and talk with him."

Vince nodded.

"It's not a bad idea," he said, "You'll probably tell him something that might help him."

"I don't know about that," C.J. said, "I just had my suspicions about one possible suspect. I don't know if they're right. I mean maybe Grant didn't do it."

"But you think he did and you must have a reason…"

She hesitated.

"Yes I do…he's a very violent man underneath the exterior."

"I did forward that information about the case back East," he said, "My detectives are contacting the agency that called him in."

"They just questioned him and let him go."

"Doesn't make him innocent," he said, "Just means they didn't have enough to hold him longer."

"Story of his life," C.J. said, "The police said that about him when he beat up Julia and…"

Vince looked at her carefully.

"Did he ever strike out at you?"

She grew very quiet then, rubbing her forehead near the scar there. Vince had an eye for details as a long-time cop so he saw that.

"Did he give you that?"

She looked at him suddenly, and then nodded slowly.

"That's when my head met the coffee table."

"He grabbed you and slammed you against the table?"

She nodded again.

"I saw stars for sure," she said, "but I was too busy trying to escape to notice them much. I knew if he knocked me out, I'd never wake up."

Vince nodded.

"When people are enraged like that, they do kill…"

She shook her head.

"He wasn't enraged," she said, "He was cold with it...his eyes…"

"They had no life to them?"

"Yes…something like that…not even when he…"

She felt it start to return, the overwhelming rush of feeling that she had buried away someplace safe or so she had thought. She rubbed her forehead.

"I don't think I want to talk about it."

Vince knew when not to push.

"That's fine," he said, "I've heard enough to believe that this Grant guy has serious anger issues and the guy who killed Mallory clearly did too."

A chill filled C.J. to actually the parallels. It didn't shock her because she suspected inside that Grant had killed Mallory but why? They really didn't have much to do with each other back in college as far as she knew. Unless she had missed something.

"I have a friend named Connie who I roomed with in college for a while," she said, "I'll give her a call and see if she remembers anything. She just started a new job in L.A."

He nodded.

"You tell me if she comes up with anything okay?"

She looked at him and nodded, knowing that although she didn't know him well, she could trust him.


	16. Chapter 16

Here's the latest chapter of this story! Thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Vince looked at her as if he were concerned about her and that struck her, considering he didn't really know her. Then she remembered what he did for a living and figured empathy had been part of his arsenal for getting at the truth, for helping someone he interviewed to relax enough to ask the really tough questions.

But she didn't relax. She remembered a time when a man had tried to kill her and then had changed his mind, deciding on a better way to do it than just damaging her physically.

"I…I better go," she said, getting up, "It's been nice talking to you."

He looked up at her.

"If you need to talk about what else he did," he said, "I'll be here probably at this time most every day."

She smiled despite herself.

"Are the women really driving you that crazy?"

"Nah, Mama means well and my wife, she's wonderful but I just need some time alone to chill because it's hard to be the man they want to see all the time. I just see too much on the job for it to ever all go away."

C.J. nodded.

"So you come here and let it go," she said, "So that no one can judge you or be hurt by it."

"You're a smart woman," he said, "I bet you make one hell of an attorney."

"I don't know if you'd think so if you knew me," she said, "I was a defense attorney for a while, even clerked under F. Lee Bailey."

"Whoa…"

She arched a brow.

"Still like me?"

"But why…"

She studied him intently because she saw the question in his eye before he started asking it.

"Why did I defend criminals after what happened with Julia?"

He nodded.

"Because I believe in the justice system," she said, "and it failed me. I didn't have much trust of prosecutors or police for a long time."

"I can understand it," Vince said, "the system frustrates me all the time and I'm a cop."

She imagined it frustrated him more so because of that. She had seen what had happened to Julia at the hands of Grant and she had experienced what happened when anyone intervened and the system had let them both down. But to be working the system…had to be frustrating beyond belief.

"But former defense attorney or not," he said, "the offer still stands."

She smiled at him again and walked away from the lake back to the cabin.

* * *

Matt had ruminated on what C.J. had told him since she left the cabin and he had made several phone calls to get more information both on the restraining order she carried and the one taken out by Julia. But the latter had been sealed by the courts as well so he hung up frustrated. This had happened some time ago but he suspected that her order had something to do with Grant. He had called Det. Clifford who hadn't much to say except that they were pursuing all leads. Grant Sullivan would be interviewed by detectives as part of the original canvass that had missed him. Matt wondered if Grant would even allow it at this point and whether the detectives would hear anything to alert them to ask more probing questions about Mallory's murder.

He didn't know if that would happen because if Grant were smart enough, he'd hide behind some high-priced legal counsel and keep them at bay indefinitely. Even if he were the killer, the police had so little to go on right now because most of the evidence had to be evaluated through sophisticated forensic technology.

But what really frustrated him beyond that was C.J.'s caginess when it came to all things about Grant. She had related her disturbing history that Julia and he had shared which involved domestic violence but pieces of that account were clearly missing and Matt had a feeling that she deliberately omitted them which meant they had something to do with her. And his question about the scar had been a stab in the dark, yet he sensed the same reticence there and it had hit him inside then that someone likely Grant had given her that scar. The thought of that just filled him with anger not easy to dispel or even to define but it made him want to track down Grant, interrogate him and then rip his throat out. Not exactly the civilized way to handle it but it worked for him. Because hurting women was beyond cowardly and if C.J. had been one of them…well then the earth wouldn't be large enough for Grant to hide from him.

Okay, C.J. was his weakness for sure. Their friendship had strengthened over the years as the two separate threads that comprised each of them had interwoven to form a tight and strong rope in a way that defined no other relationship Matt had with anyone else. He couldn't explain it but ever since they had met in the schoolyard when they were kids, he had been drawn to the brown-haired girl with the sparkling eyes and easy smile. She had grown into a beautiful and formidable woman but laced with humor and a truly generous spirit, and one who could go to the matt with him on anything. They had never been anything but friends but when she came back to Texas to work with him after law school, his jaw had nearly dropped when she came in his office. His best efforts to charm her and lure her into his bed hadn't worked and he nearly felt ashamed for trying but damn, she was beautiful and spirited even if she kept him at arm's length until his hormones settled down.

Still spending time with her at the cabin had made him wonder if it could ever work out between them, that they could combine a deeply rich friendship with some truly scorching in between the sheets action. But her guard hadn't dropped an inch and so he had kept his thoughts to himself and in the end, it didn't matter because the relationship they did have, he treasured so much. Those sweet memories of the few times they had come close to the edge…he would just have to keep hidden.

The phone rang again and he saw it was Murray…again.

"Murray, what's going on that can't wait…"

His accountant started talking so fast he couldn't keep up.

"Murray, you're going to have to slow down, I can't understand you."

"Yeah right boss…I called to tell you that Grant's dropped out of sight."

Matt's brow furrowed. What did that mean exactly?

"He left town or they just can't find him."

"The police came to me for some contact information since we're doing background on him," he said, "I don't know how they found out about that because I'd never blab, you know I would never blab…"

"Murray, sure I know," Matt said, "Just stick to what you're telling me."

"Okay…they are trying to you know…canvass him for that woman' s murder but he vanished."

"What do you mean he vanished?"

"They can't find him anywhere," Murray said, "Don't you think that's a little bit odd?"

"It does sound strange but did the police give a reading on it?"

Murray sighed.

"Not much of one I'm afraid," he said, "They don't think he left town yet…of course you never really know."

Matt knew that Grant surely had the means to leave town or the country for that matter and hole up with plenty of money."

"Why would he bail on us," Murray asked, "He seemed to really want this job."

Because the heat was reaching him and he realized he looked like a viable suspect in Mallory's murder and if they knew he had already been questioned in relation to another woman's disappearance, that suspicion would only grow.

"Maybe he's got sick relatives out of state," Matt said, "Murray he's clearly not in the mood to talk to police."

"Then they need to get a warrant…"

"They don't have enough to arrest him on at this point," Matt said, "only to question him."

"But you think he did it, don't you boss?"

Matt paused, being careful. He didn't want to throw accusations around so early in the murder investigation but yes, he definitely had his suspicions that Grant had something to do with it. After all, he already knew he had a violent history. But was he really running away from something else the police didn't know?

He had too many questions at this point as he told Murray to keep him posted and to continue on with their own background check of Sullivan in hopes they might find something useful.

* * *

C.J. had punched in the numbers for Connie Ling, hoping she would pick up. Her former roommate and friend started working at the county museum of art not long ago. The job kept her busy but she still had time to volunteer with youth to help keep them on the right path mostly because her brother had screwed up his own life. He had just gotten out of a juvenile detention facility and it hadn't been his first stint.

"Hi C.J., what's going on?"

"Hi Connie, I'm just calling from the mountains."

"Oh yes, you and Matt are staying there for a while," she said, "Must be fun. Maybe you and he…can finally rip each others' clothes off and get down to business."

C.J. nearly blushed at Connie's tendency to be…blunt about certain things.

"He and I are just friends," C.J. reminded her, "We're just not that way."

Connie exhaled loudly.

"Oh yeah right," she said, "Tell me that when you pass each other in the hallway, you're not tempted."

Okay, so Connie knew that about her. Not that it meant anything at all.

"Anyway, Connie you heard about Mallory didn't you?"

"Her murder you mean," Connie said, "It's been all over the news."

"They don't have any leads yet," C.J. said, "I know because an L.A. cop is summering nearby with his family and he's getting updates."

"They called me in for an interview," Connie said, "Some Det. Clifford but I just said I knew her in college, pledged a different sorority and that I didn't even know Grant had returned to L.A."

"I didn't either until recently," C.J. said, "and he worked in a firm close to where she worked."

Connie paused and C.J. knew her mind worked quickly so she knew what would come next.

"You think Grant did it, don't you?"

"I…I don't what to think Connie," she said, "We both know he's capable."

"I know what he did to Julia and I know what he did to you," Connie said, "I came to your apartment when Julia called remember?"

"Course I do."

"And when the police came and took you both in for questioning," Connie said, "He would definitely kill someone."

"Did you tell the police that?"

"I didn't tell them about what happened that night," Connie said, "because I wanted to talk to you first and Julia, she doesn't care anymore what I do."

Julia had bigger obstacles to deal with right now like her illness.

"Connie, I think you should wait," C.J. said, "I need to think about it some more."

"I understand C.J.," Connie said, "Are you going to tell him?"

C.J. sighed, knowing who Connie meant and she hadn't made that decision yet. Vince had known that she had a story untold involving Grant and had offered to listen. She didn't know how to decide because If she did, everything would rip open again and not just for her.

"I'll call you back when I've made a decision…"

Connie wished her well and C.J. clicked off her phone and headed back to the cabin. She walked inside and saw Matt sitting there. She walked past him.

"Where are you going," he asked.

"Just to get something to drink."

"Did you have a good walk?"

"Yeah…I ran into that guy again," she said, "I told him more about Grant."

That made him sit up straight.

"You must really think he's responsible for Mallory's death," he said, "What's going on here C.J.?"

She just looked at him and for a second, he saw something on her face that he couldn't quite read, but then it receded again and she just shrugged.

"I think every bit helps find her killer," she said.

"You didn't answer my question."

And he had so many more for her and he needed the answers. Watching her wary attitude, he decided it might be time to play some hardball.


	17. Chapter 17

C.J. didn't like the way that Matt looked at her, as if trying to search for the answers that she wouldn't give him. His eyes never left her face and she knew if she looked away from him, it would show a sign of weakness on her part.

So she met his gaze with her own and folded her arms, just standing there.

"Why are you asking me these questions," she said, "Nothing's happening here except you keep pushing a door opened that closed long ago."

"What door C.J.?"

She hedged.

"About Julia and me…and Grant," she said, "Houston, Julia's moved on from that…"

He didn't budge from his probing, the kind of relentless pushing that she knew would make him an outstanding investigator some day but right now, it just raised her defenses.

"Have you moved on?"

"Yes…I have…You can't stay mired in the past after all…what's done is done and there's no going back."

"That's an enigmatic response as I've ever heard from you."

She raised her brows at him.

"It's an answer to your annoying questions Houston."

He sighed.

"I'm trying to help you here," he said, "because you've clearly got something on your mind lately."

She tried to smile.

"Houston, I've been busy here with you," she said, "keeping an eye on you because your father wanted me to do it like you said."

Matt grew real quiet then and she knew he was readying himself for the next question and that it pained him.

"What is it," she asked, "Just say it."

His eyes looked troubled.

"I saw the restraining order C.J.," he said, "I didn't go looking for it. It fell out of a book and I saw it."

Shock filled her face then for an instant and then she reached for another emotion to hide it which was anger.

"Why did you pry into what doesn't concern you?"

"It does concern me that you took out a restraining order on someone and you never said anything."

She ran her hand through her hair.

"It was some years ago."

"When you were in college," he finished, "I saw the dates and the county of record."

"It's not an issue," she said, "Like I said, some years ago…I don't think it's in effect any longer."

He looked at her carefully.

"Does it need to be?"

She threw him an exasperated glance.

"No…I wouldn't think so."

"Then why do you still have it," he said, "What on earth is it doing here?"

She finally went to sit in a chair and made herself comfortable before looking back at him. He couldn't quite read the emotions swirling on her face. He still pushed her but more gently this time.

"And who did you want restrained?"

She didn't respond.

"C.J. I want to help you," he said, "because clearly there's something going on here."

She glared up at him.

"I don't need your help," she said, "You're the one having the problems not me and you're the one that is here to heal and get better so you can go back to your life."

He smiled ruefully.

"I'm still trying to figure out what to do with it and I will," he said, "But you're a part of that and something's holding you back."

She shook her head.

"I'm fine…Houston," she said, "I'm working as hard as I can in your company and we've been doing really well…"

"I'm not talking about work," he said, "We're talking about that outdated restraining order that you've been carrying around apparently all this time."

She sighed.

"Not really," she said, "I kept it in the cabinet drawer all this time but I decided to take it out and keep it with me."

"Why…because it's Grant isn't it?"

She tilted her head.

"What if it was," she said, "That's in the past anyway and you almost hired him to work at Houston Enterprises."

"Almost…that's not going to happen now."

"Because of all the suspicion surrounding him about Mallory and the woman back East and what he did to Julia…"

Matt nodded.

"Partly that's the reason," he said, "but it's what he did to you and I don't even know what that is except I see it just by looking at you…like now."

She looked away for a moment and took a deep breath.

"It's over and done with anyway," she said, "Maybe it's just better to move on."

She knew her response had frustrated Matt but she really didn't want to go further into this discussion, knowing it wouldn't help at all to dredge up the past. At least there was no chance that Grant would be working alongside them. She had to be thankful for that, forget everything else and just move towards the future.

She loved working with Matt and she loved spending time with him. She knew he only asked these probing questions because he cared deeply about her as she did him but really, it wouldn't help do anything or change what had happened. She had been very effective at keeping it and all the memories at bay when they came calling.

Matt seemed content to back off, at least for now and he got up from where he sat and looked over at C.J.

"Want to cook up some food and eat outside?"

She nodded at him, feeling herself relax.

"I'll help if you'd like," she said, "I can make some steamed vegetables."

He smiled and she followed him into the kitchen. Truly they made a good team when combining their culinary skills as they did in business. They didn't talk much but then silence had never seemed anything but companionable between them while doing something they both enjoyed. After he prepared some baked chicken and she put in her vegetables, they took that and a couple of beers out to the deck where they sat enjoying their surroundings. The sunlight had faded and she could hear the humming of life in the bushes and feel the air start to cool, with a soft breeze.

"It's so peaceful…"

He looked over at her eating her food with her hair tucked back behind her and her sitting comfortably on the chaise with her dish sitting in her lap.

"I could move here," he said, "I am definitely tired of spending all my time in L.A. I need some wide open space…"

"There's ranching," she said, "You've done it before and you were great at it."

"Yeah it was a lot of fun growing up that way and getting that Texan spread," he said, "That's where I met Slim…Charlie Eagle and the gang…I'm glad they'll be joining us here soon…then it'll almost feel like home."

She smiled.

"That'll be great," she said, "I miss that part of our Texas life a lot too."

They both retired early that night after watching a mystery movie, a genre they both favored. He had micro-waved some popcorn and they had hit the sofa, where she leaned against him as they both caught the action on the screen and tried to figure out who among the people trapped on an island was killing the rest of them off.

C.J. lay back on her bed, processing the day's events in her head, before sleep took her into its embrace. She really liked Vince and felt that he really had been interested in what she had told him and she had almost…well told him because she felt that because she didn't know him well, it might be easier than telling her best friend. But she hadn't taken that step preferring to wait and think about it. Hoping that she wouldn't have to do that but…if Grant had killed Mallory, then she wouldn't have any choice in the manner.

If Grant had truly been the last face seen by Mallory then C.J. might know why. Because Mallory had been a connection to their past that remained in the present and maybe she knew more than she had ever said.

But then she didn't know for sure that Mallory had died at Grant's hand or if some other madman had killed her or even if it had been a random killing involving a different motive. She couldn't jump to conclusions but her instincts led her back to the same place.

After she returned from the police department, she had returned not to the apartment but to Connie's place. Mallory had been crashing at her place for a few weeks while awaiting admittance into the sorority house because she had seniority on the newer pledges. C.J. had just wanted to crash on the couch and sleep after the hours of questioning which had ended for her and just begun for Julia. Her friend had told her to on back with Connie and wait for her. Her body ached horribly and her head stung from where a doctor had stitched it up before the police had come for her in the emergency room.

So she had entered the house and had hit the couch only Connie had made some of her old family recipe of herbal tea to help her relax while Mallory sat with her after searching the house for a comforter and a pillow. Connie had told C.J. to clean up and then she'd fix her something to eat but C.J. didn't think her stomach would hold food so she stuck with the tea. After sitting in a hot bath for a while gingerly cleaning herself, C.J. changed into some sweats and a tee-shirt and then headed to join the others.

"Thanks," she said, softly when Connie handed her the mug.

"It'll help you relax enough to sleep," Connie said, "Julia's parents are down with her now and they'll take her to stay with them."'

C.J. didn't have anyone to call…except Matt and his dad and she had no plans to call either, not wanting them to drop everything and come to Berkeley. Matt had preparations for a very important football game and Bill was in Japan on business. So Connie and Mallory had taken her in knowing that she couldn't go back to her apartment.

"So are you going to get a lawyer?"

C.J shrugged.

"Don't know if I need one," she said, "I didn't tell them much once it was clear they didn't want the truth."

"Well, what if you need one?"

C.J. just sipped her tea.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

"Julia will get one from her father," Mallory said, "They're loaded with money and know the right people."

"You could ask Matt for help," Connie offered.

C.J. shook her head vehemently.

"I'm not going to involve him," she said, "Not unless I absolutely have to do it."

"He cares about you," Connie said, "He's going to want to know what happened."

"No…he's not going to know," C.J. said, "He's got enough on his plate. He just got a chance to play first string, the youngest person on the team."

Mallory and Connie looked at each other.

"Why are the police acting like this," Mallory asked, "Look what happened to you."

C.J. didn't want to look and had avoided mirrors. She knew how it felt and that the pain would only be worse the next day.

"It's just routine," she said, "After all, Julia and I walked away, Grant didn't…"

Matt headed into the kitchen to get on a noise he heard only to discover that the wind had picked up some and a tree branch had begun tapping the window. He grabbed a glass of juice to drink before heading back to bed. As he passed by C.J.'s room, he heard her inside, mumbling in her sleep and gently pushed the door open further going inside.

She lay wrapped up in her bed covers, moving and saying something unintelligible. He walked over and sat on her bedside, smoothing her hair back off of her forehead.

"Hey, it's okay…"

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. And she reacted an instant later by pulling away a bit.

"What are you doing here?"

"I went to check something in the kitchen and I heard you."

She looked at him more closely, as he sat there wearing only sweat pants and thinking that she had certainly woken up to worse sights than him.

"I'm okay," she said, "I must have been dreaming."

"You remember what about?"

She thought about it and shook her head.

"I've been thinking…about so many things… but I can't remember them."

"I can see that," he said, "I think you'd feel better if you shared them with someone…even if it's not me."

She heard the hint in his voice that he wished that he would confide in him but he didn't push and she just wanted to try to get back to sleep.

"Houston, I'm fine," she said, "I'd rather try to get some rest and you have an early day…"

True, he did need to do his daily morning regimen but he wanted her to be okay when he left.

"I'm fine really," she said, "and you still need your sleep."

He looked back at her as he left but she had already settled her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. Gone back to her dreaming, and he wished that this time, sweet dreams.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Another installment up, hope you enjoy it and thanks!

* * *

Matt rose early in the morning as he had been doing since arriving at the cabin. He donned his clothes and headed to the kitchen. C.J. already had gotten some cereal and juice out and sat at the breakfast nook eating it.

"I'm heading into town to do the laundry," she said, "and maybe look around."

He nodded.

"You really don't have to do that."

She smiled.

"I think I do," she said, "Of course you could do your own clothes."

He thought about it and she bit back a chuckle.

"I'll do the grocery shopping," he offered, "and maybe find us some more movies."

"Okay you've got yourself a deal."

She made plans to take her novel with her while she waited in the laundry mat. Matt took off to begin his run after downing a glass of juice and filling up his bottle with water. She watched him leave and then settled on the couch with her computer to look up the daily newspaper.

The front page splashed up and she saw that there had been more coverage on Mallory's murder but nothing mentioned about Grant. Maybe police were keeping that under wraps for now until they determined whether or not he was a more viable suspect. But the more she thought about it, the more she remembered and that just made her believe all the more that Grant killed Mallory but why?

It didn't matter what she suspected, really. The police had to go by what they investigated and uncovered and they would need an awful lot of evidence, a little less intuitition to be able to sign out an arrest warrant.

Her phone rang and she looked at it and saw that it was Julia.

"Hi what's up," she asked.

Julia just sighed.

"I caught up on the information about Mallory's murder," she said, "It's just so awful isn't it?"

"It sure is," C.J. said, "and it's not going anywhere as far as the investigation. No suspects and pretty soon, it looks like the trail's just going to go cold.

Julia gasped.

"That can't happen," she said, "Come on C.J. we both know who did it."

C.J. rubbed her head.

"I know who I think did it," she said, "but that doesn't make it so."

"It's Grant's handiwork," Julia said, "We both know what he's capable of don't we?"

Yes they did, C.J. thought, but it hadn't made any difference back then and it wouldn't now.

"Julia…he's going to be interviewed because he worked close to where she did," C.J. said, "as part of the canvass."

"He's a much stronger suspect worthy of much more attention than just that," Julia said, "but maybe they'll find something more on him when they interview him."

"He's very smart," C.J. said, "but he's arrogant too so maybe he'll slip up."

"He'll have to," Julia said, "or they'll never get him. We both know he's a very dangerous man."

C.J. fell silent.

"I've been talking to this lieutenant in the LAPD who knows about the case," she said, "and I told him about your experience with him. Just that he abused another woman."

Julia paused.

"I guess there's no reason to hide it," she said, "not that I could, seeing as how it played out. And if it can help solve Mallory's murder, then it's fine with me."

"If they want to talk to you…"

"Just give them my contact information," Julia said, "or I can call them…who would I call?"

"A Det. Clifford…he's assigned to her case."

"Okay maybe I'll do that," Julia said, "How are things otherwise, how's Matt?"

"He's fine…he's out running now," C.J. said, "but he's doing much much better than when he arrived."

"All that time spent out in nature with you must be working its wonders," Julia observed.

C.J. didn't know about that but she did know he had been getting back to his normal self and that greatly relieved her.

"We're going into town later," she said, "to do some errands and get some food."

"That'll be nice," Julia said, "I think the time together has been good for you both."

C.J. thought so too but why did Matt keep pushing her about a past that couldn't be changed?

* * *

Matt had reached the bottom much more quickly than he previously had done and noticed that the heat didn't bake the gorge as much as it had in earlier days. He took a couple sips from his water bottle and wiped his brow before heading on back up to the top. Heading downward, he had thought an awful lot about what had happened last night with C.J. first when he confronted her about the restraining order and also when she woke up from her dreaming.

She really hadn't told him much, not what had happened back then to lead her to seeking the order and not why she still carried it around now. And he had a pretty good bet that is what had gotten her up last night. That and it had everything to do with Grant , because Matt just knew that his name had been on that restraining order. But if so, why? He needed those answers from her but he wasn't about to force the issue. They had been best friends since they were younger and this had happened during the rare time span they had spent apart, living lives at that point which had taken them in separate directions. By the time she had finished law school and had come to work for him, she had been just as spirited as the woman he had always known.

And she had been damn beautiful too.

But she clearly didn't want him to know all of her business that took place during that time and he had to tread carefully with her to find out what she kept hidden. The news that Grant had apparently vanished hadn't pleased him either because people didn't just drop out of sight when the police came calling. If he pulled a disappearing act, then clearly he didn't want to be interviewed which meant he might have something to hide which meant…

He could be out there somewhere, anywhere, and might be up to just about anything. Maybe out looking for a place to lay low for a while until the trail on Mallory's killer went cold or maybe he might be picking up stakes and moving elsewhere. The one thing he had better not do is to be looking for trouble with C.J. because Matt realized that would be a possibility if he had killed Mallory that he might come after anyone he felt might be a threat to him. That included his best friend and he couldn't help her if he didn't know the truth.

She usually had always been a person who had direct and friendly and if her life hadn't been an open book, she had shared it with him even times that had been tough while they had been growing up in ranching country in Texas.

Why she held firm on whatever had happened to her in Berkeley he didn't know or understand and that frustrated him because he believed that the truth might have a way of revealing itself soon enough if something had happened between her and Grant and he came looking for her for some reason. It didn't seem likely because the authorities hadn't even known whether or not he had gone into hiding or just dropped out of sight for a while. They just know he had been classified in the investigation as a "person of interest".

Matt knew they wouldn't find him if he didn't want to be found because he had the financial means and probably the connections to go just about anywhere and if he had been responsible for Mallory's murder, he would be long gone before being labeled a major suspect.

He thought about all this as he headed back up the switchback trail to the cabin.

* * *

C.J. had gone to get her cell phone after showering and getting dressed for the trip to the small village and she noticed that she had a couple silent phone messages on voice mail but only the designation, private number had been left on her phone. She slipped it in her purse and went to the living room to pick up on her novel just as Matt walked inside from his run.

"I just got to shower and I'll be ready to go."

"I'll be right here," she said, "How'd your run go?"

"Great…I think it's starting to cool down a little."

She watched him head to the bathroom and continued reading, but she kept going back to what Julia had told her. Her friend had been willing to talk to the investigators on the case even if it meant detailing what had happened to her and C.J. knew for Julia that would mean reliving it. She realized that she might have to do the same thing if there were any chance of shedding any light on whether or not Grant had killed Mallory.

After Matt finished showering and got dressed, they headed to the village driving on the winding two-lane road which provided a scenic view of the forest on one side and the lake below the tree topped hills on the other. The village that lay less than 10 miles away from Matt's cabin boasted one main street of businesses including a general store with a well-stocked grocery section, a small theater, a pharmacy, some restaurants and bars and fortunately for them, a laundry mat.

She took the clothes and laundry soap with her along with money to change into the facility while Matt headed off to do some other errands. They would have lunch there at one of the eateries afterward. The laundry mat looked quiet to C.J. and sure enough, only a couple of people were sitting inside waiting for their loads to finish. One, a matronly lady who looked about sixtyish got up to put more clothes from a washer into a dryer. C.J. walked over to a nearby machine and the woman eyed her carefully, though in a friendly way.

"Ah, so your husband has banished you to the laundry mat on such a lovely day."

C.J. smiled and put her basket down.

"I'm not married."

The woman inspected her laundry.

"There are male clothes in there, no?"

"It's just a friend…"

The woman harrumphed.

"Must be a very close friend," she said, "to trust you with his undergarments."

C.J. suppressed a chuckle.

"Actually, we've been best friends for years and on occasion, he's washed my things."

The woman folded her arms.

"I see…so you…he this man are not…"

C.J. shook her head, strangely not offended by the woman's direct line of questioning. She just had a warm and friendly nature about her.

"Then I guess that's okay, but you need to find a man and get married," she said, "You're not getting any younger."

"I'm too busy getting my career going to think about that…"

The woman just shook her head but she did smile.

"I'm Rosa…Rosa Noveli."

C.J. nodded.

"Vince's mother right," she said, "I met your son at the lake when he was fishing."

Rosa made a face.

"He spends all his time in the afternoon out fishing," she said, "and sometimes he brings something back."

"I know, I've spent some time talking with him," C.J. said, "They're working on solving the murder of an old friend of mine."

Rosa nodded.

"Oh he brings his work with him wherever he goes," she said, "even when on a holiday with his family and dear mother."

C.J. chuckled.

"Occupational hazard I gather," she said, "although I'm the same way and I'm an attorney. I'm C.J. Parsons, nice to meet you."

"Always nice to meet a beautiful nice girl like you," Rosa said, "If I had another son…"

C.J. went to put the clothes in the washing machine.

"So where's this friend," Rosa asked, "He around?"

"He's out grocery shopping and doing some errands," C.J. said, "He'll be here when he's finished."

"Is he handsome?"

C.J. smiled.

"I'd like to think so…but yes many women do consider him great looking."

Rosa frowned.

"Why does it matter if they do if you like him, go get him…"

C.J. put the change in the machine.

"It's not like…we're just close friends…

Rosa's eyes widened.

"You never…"

C.J.'s face flushed slightly though she didn't know why.

"I…"

Rosa smiled.

"That's okay…you should wait until you're married like a good girl."

C.J. arched her brow at that.

"I'm not going to marry him…"

Rosa nodded.

"I know…I didn't wait until I was married either with my dearly departed husband…God has yet to strike me down for it."

"I don't think I have to worry about that."

Rosa shook her head.

"Of course not," she said, "You're a good girl and you and this boyfriend of yours can survive not waiting if you're at least engaged like I was with my husband."

C.J. smiled again not bothering to correct her statement. She would just get herself in deeper trouble with this woman, she felt.

"How long were you married?"

Rosa furrowed her brow.

"Over 35 years," she said, "before he passed on."

"That must have been really nice to share your life with someone like that," C.J. said, "but hard to lose him as well."

Rosa shrugged.

"We shared a life together that left us blessed but what God gives, he takes and he's in a better place watching over his son who eats too little and works too hard."

C.J. could tell that Rosa really loved her son but that she worried about him as well, not surprising considering he worked in such a dangerous and unpredictable profession. C.J. didn't know if she could handle having a husband who might not come home from work one night.

"You eat very well I hope," Rosa said, "A girl has to have some meat on her bones to attract a good man."

"I love great food," C.J. said, "all different kinds."

Rosa smiled.

"Then you should come to my restaurant sometime," she said, "I cook all the old family recipes and the greatest pizza from my great grandfather back in Sicily."

"I'd like to try it sometime."

"Then why don't you come to dinner with us," Rosa suggested, "I'll cook up a lot of food and you can even bring your boyfriend if you'd like as long as you two behave yourselves."

C.J. liked the sound of that, well the food anyway and she didn't have to worry about Matt behaving himself because it's not like they were even dating.

"I'll ask him and we'll think about taking you up on that offer."

Rosa beamed.

"Oh splendid," she said, "You'll love my cooking and maybe I'll even teach you a recipe or two."

C.J. smiled as Rosa went to the dryer to pull some clothing out and start folding it. She checked her cell phone and saw that she had no phone messages but that she had received a text. Just a short sentence appeared in front of her.

"_I'll be seeing you soon…"_


	19. Chapter 19

An update to this story is up. Thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

C.J. just stared at her phone and the message. She didn't see a number attached to it to provide any clue to who might have sent it.

But of course she knew.

She put her phone back in her purse and walked to the window and looked out into the street. She saw some passerby but no familiar faces. Several cars were parked that looked empty. Nothing supsicious as far as she could tell and even if it had been Grant, it didn't mean that he was nearby. Still, it was hard to calm her nerves after reading the text. If it was Grant, did it mean he would come to the mountains to find her because after all, he did say he knew about Matt's cabin.

She returned to the laundry which was ready to be put in the dryer. Rosa had finished folding her clothes and had prepared to leave to go back to her family. C.J. said goodbye to her and that she and Matt would consider taking her up on the dinner invitation. Then she tried to return to her novel but she couldn't stop thinking about the text.

Damn she had no idea where Grant was now, and no way to find him. She assumed he had been in L.A. waiting to be questioned for Mallory's murder but she figured that wasn't really his style. He had the money and the means to go wherever he wanted or needed to move in order to avoid the heat. Unfortunately, he had always been very efficient at staying out of jail and ahead of the law. She and Julia had discovered that the hard way and she doubt that his luck had changed because he had more money and status now. But one thing had changed, if he came after her again, this time she wasn't going down easily.

She would make him hurt or she would kill him.

* * *

Matt finished the grocery shopping stocking up on whatever he remembered that they needed at the cabin for the next week until they headed back to L.A. His phone rang just after he had paid for the food and had headed out to the car.

"Murray so did you find anything?"

"Still no sign of Grant Sullivan," the accountant said, "and the police are out there looking for him now."

"Why the sudden interest?"

"I didn't get much out of the desk sergeant," Murray said, "but something about some forensic evidence and he had gotten caught up in something some years ago elsewhere."

"Another woman turn up missing on his watch?"

"I don't know boss, but they're running him through some heavy databases to see if anything comes up."

Matt paused.

"Murray how do you know all this?"

He could sense him smiling on the other end of the line.

"I have a friend who stenos over there for the records department," Murray said, "We're still quite close friends though the marriage thing would have never worked out."

Matt wished he could get that information because he knew that if police were suddenly focusing on Grant and the man dropped out of sight, they might never catch up with him. And where had the guy headed anyway?

He definitely didn't like the fact that C.J. had been tied to the guy in such a violent way. If she had taken out an order on the man, then that meant that more had happened between them than she had told him. At least so far he hadn't done anything like show up here to harass her or worse and Matt would make sure it stayed that way.

After loading the groceries, he headed toward the laundry mat. Across the street, a vehicle pulled up and a man watched him.

* * *

C.J. had been folding clothes when Matt popped inside the laundry mat.

"Ready to go?"

She folded her arms.

"Houston…I'll be a couple of minutes, though it might go faster if you handle your own clothes."

He nodded looking over at a familiar pile.

"Okay you've got a deal," he said, "then we'll head to that barbecue place and try it out."

She smiled at him and returned to her folding but he noticed some lines of tension across her face and that her eyes, well they looked guarded.

"C.J. anything happen since I left?"

Damn he had observation skills that had only become sharper since he had developed them in the military. If he read her mind, it wouldn't surprise her but she just looked at him.

"I'm fine Houston," she said, "I did meet the mother of that guy who's been fishing in the lake. Her name's Rosa and she's very nice…she invited us to dinner."

"That sounds nice…"

C.J.'s mouth curved into a smile.

"She also thought that we were…you know…"

"Ah…okay …well I've told you that anytime you want to change things…"

She hit him lightly when she threw one of his socks at him.

"Houston, stop teasing," she said, "We both know there's a long list of eligible women in L.A. wondering where the hell you've gone."

He sighed.

"Maybe…no it's more likely out of sight, out of mind."

"You mean move onto to the next hot thing," she said, "No, I think they'll wait unless you stick around too long so maybe it's just as well we're heading back soon."

"Oh I don't know," he said, "We could stay here for a while longer, enjoy the nature around us and find plenty to keep us busy besides work."

C.J. just looked at him thick with the innuendo today but he really didn't mean anything by it. Before he left each hospital, he had broken a couple of hearts and he probably had a long list of messages awaiting him at the office. He had said as much once when he had called to check in with Murray and the accountant being ultra-organized had reeled off the list in alphabetical order.

But for Matt not to be in a hurry to get back to his bustling social life and its ladies, now that might be something. Maybe he didn't feel as confident as he sounded about his recovery from his injuries and his restoral to health. But he looked great, he looked very fit which was obvious to her whether he strolled around in jeans and a tee-shirt or his lower half wrapped up in a towel. As soon as he got back, he would get down to business…and she would once again walk in to Matt kissing his women goodbye before they left the penthouse suite.

"What are you smiling at," he asked, as he put his clothing in the laundry basket.

"Just thinking…you've got such a fan club in L.A. awaiting you, how are you ever going to keep up?"

"C.J. it's not quite what you think…like I said."

She snorted.

"I've seen it Houston," she said, "Not that I'm judging you for anything because as long as you're happy."

"And what about you," he asked.

He looked into her eyes for the answer before she'd say it.

"I guess it's back to work and maybe thinking about getting back in the game."

"Anyone in particular?"

He picked up the basket and she the detergent and they headed to the car to add that to the groceries before heading off to the restaurant.

She loved it when she walked inside of it, it was decorated in a reflection of the history of the Southwest.

"It looks great," she said.

"I heard the food's great," Matt said, "and I'd like to taste someone else's barbecue besides my own."

"I love yours."

They walked over to the waitress and she gave them their choice of a booth or table because the place didn't look very busy with only several people seated at tables. Matt and she chose a corner booth and sat down.

"She was so nice," C.J. said, "Although she kept asking me questions about my social life."

"You mean Rosa," Matt said, "What'd she ask?"

"I told her I was staying with someone at the cabin and she assumed that we were together."

"Well we are…in a matter of speaking."

She leaned forward.

"Houston, why do you do this," she asked, "Things are great the way they are don't you think?"

"Yeah I do, but you're so beautiful and sometimes I do think that I'd like to get to know you better in a different way."

Her brows rose.

"You…I'm sorry but I'm not going to be on that list of yours."

"What list?"

"The one you keep inside your head of every woman you've ever slept with," she said, "Starting back in Texas."

He looked hurt as he sipped his water.

"You would never be that to me," he said, "but I don't have a list."

"Sure you do," she said, "All men do."

"What about you," he said, "What about your list that you keep…ever since Texas?"

She thought about that as the waitress came over to take their order.

"I guess you're right," she said, "I guess that makes us even."

He nodded.

"Okay now that we're even, say we go back to the cabin after lunch and work it off?"

She just laughed.

"Houston…that is the weakest line in the book," she said, "I think maybe you need to go home to L.A. sooner than next week."

"I like where I am right now."

"Like I said, you can call up one of your girlfriends for a visit," she said, "Just put a hanger on your door of your bedroom or something so I won't bother including you in breakfast and dinner…"

His eyebrows waggled.

"What if we're both in there?"

Her cheeks flushed. He truly was in top form today but he did have her thinking…not that she took it very far. If her libido ever tried to go beyond a certain point, well her rationale reeled it right back in. Their longtime friendship just mattered too much to her and she knew it mattered a lot to him as well.

"I think I'll just ask Murray to pick a name from your messages at random and call her to get on down to the cabin."

He shook his head.

"I'd just tell her I can't. I'm here with my best friend."

She pursed her lips.

"Well if I want to call some guy I went out with and invite him here?"

He looked at her mouth agape and she looked back, perplexed.

"Houston…I'm just kidding but why should it matter…what's good for the gander is good for the goose right?"

Their food came not long after and they both dove in, enjoying the steak and roasted potatoes, along with some iced tea. Matt loved the fact that C.J. enjoyed eating a great meal as much as he did and clear her plate too. Most of his girlfriends fretted when they ate anything besides a salad that they would gain too much weight. Not that his friend had to worry about her shapely figure, toned but soft at the same time.

* * *

She enjoyed her time spent with him as she usually did but her mind returned to the text message and she had to swallow her fear so that he wouldn't see it. If Grant were serious about coming back to confront her in some way, she had to be ready for it but she didn't want Matt to worry about it or do anything that would get him into trouble. She knew that Grant had a way of making the person he tried to hurt the villain, so skillfully he had proven to be at twisting the truth into lies that could convince people unable to see past his suave exterior.

He had broken into where she and Julia had lived and in the end, they had to answer the questions about what had happened not him.

And even years later he could easily do that again.

She had awoken the next day in Connie's place and after easing her aching body off the couch, she headed into the kitchen. Connie and Mallory just looked at her.

"You're up. How did you sleep," Connie asked.

"Okay…where's Julia?"

Connie and Mallory looked at each other.

"Her parents called this morning," Connie said, "She just got sprung not too long ago and she's at their house."

"Why did they keep her so long," Mallory said, shaking her head.

C.J. knew why. Because of the man who now remained hospitalized in a coma, who might not survive.

"She's getting a lawyer through her family," Connie said, "What about you?"

Too much for C.J. to process while her head still spun from dizziness.

"I don't know…I don't really have family left."

"We can help you," Connie said, "or do the best we can."

Mallory nodded.

"I think I know someone who might be able to help you if you need it."

C.J. went to pour herself some juice and the glass shook in her hand.

"Are you okay," Mallory asked, "Maybe you need to go lie down and rest."

"I can't not while Julia's in trouble," C.J. said, "It's not her fault about what happened. The police have to understand that."

Suddenly they heard knocking on the door and they looked at each other. Connie walked over to look in the peephole.

"Who is it," she asked.

"Berkeley Police," a man said.

* * *

C.J. looked up from where she sat on the couch after she and Matt had returned from town and he had gone outside to do some work on the deck. She had returned back to the cabin from where she'd been, somewhere in another place at an earlier time.

And suddenly she decided she needed to get out of here. So she got up and grabbing a light jacket decided to head off to the lake where she could sit down and relax, looking out into the calm water. She walked out and Matt looked up from where he worked.

"Where are you going," he asked but she didn't answer.

He just watched her leave and realized he really needed to find out what the hell was going on with his friend so he went inside to make some phone calls.

And then that's when he found the envelope tucked in his mailbox.


	20. Chapter 20

Another installment up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt took the envelope out of his box and saw the postage stamps on it indicated it had come from L.A. somewhere. No name or return address had been included in the upper left hand corner. He turned it over and found no clues written on it there either so he opened it up…carefully.

Inside, were some documents and what appeared to be some photographs. He looked at those first and his eyes widened. He thumbed through them, his face growing more intent. He walked back inside the cabin and sat down on the couch to read through the documentation.

* * *

C.J. headed on down the lake, trying to rein in the thoughts swimming around her head. About the text message and the man who sent it. She knew it had been Grant but what was he planning? If he planned to come out to the cabin, what would she do about it? She would protect herself, after all she had brought her gun.

And Matt always carried one of his own.

Between the two of them if Grant found his way in their vicinity, he'd find himself in trouble. She had no intention of allowing him to get the better of her again. If he came after her, he wouldn't walk away.

She neared the lake and saw Vince sitting there fishing again and she paused in her tracks. Then she approached him. He heard her coming and smiled at her.

"Catch anything?"

He shook his head.

"Looks like it's more pizza tonight, but the kids love it."

She sat down beside him.

"I met your mother in town, at the laundry mat."

"I know she told me," Vince said, "She invited you and your boyfriend as she called him to dinner."

She smiled.

"She was quite interested in him," she said, "I told her we're best friends who are staying together."

"My mother thinks no one's really happy unless they have a family to care for," he said, "Don't mind her. She's very much old school."

C.J.'s mouth quirked.

"She seemed to think you needed more kids."

Vince chuckled.

"She came from a large family in a town of large families back in the old country," he said, "She doesn't realize life is very different here."

"She seemed very nice."

"Mama's got a great heart," he said, "but she does tend to pry in other people's affairs."

"You're lucky to have a mother Vince," she said, "We both lost our mothers when we were quite young. I often wonder what it would be like."

"Do you have any family?"

She shook her head.

"They all passed," she said, "I barely knew them but my friend's got a father and an uncle."

Vince nodded.

"I've got brothers and a sister but we're spread all over the world," he said, "I'm the closest to Mama."

She looked out into the lake quietly for a moment and he knew her mind had turned to something else.

"We're still looking for him," he said, "but no trace."

"You mean Grant," she said, "He's disappeared again?"

Vince sighed.

"We were only going to do routine questioning as part of the original canvass because he didn't show up for that. But after what you told me about his past, the investigators now know he warrants a closer look than that."

"I told Julia to call them," C.J. said, "She can tell them a lot more about Grant than almost anyone and she's willing to do it."

"Okay that's a start…We did find her name in a search in Berkeley and yours."

She looked up at him and he continued.

"The both of you were brought in for questioning," he said, "and more than that."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose but didn't say anything. She had already returned back to that day.

"As for Grant, he was in a coma for nearly a week but then recovered…"

She sighed then as if she had held her breath for a long time.

"I know what you're thinking."

"I'm not guessing anything," he said, "I'm a cop. I know that the circumstances can mean a whole bunch of different things."

"I know that as an attorney too, but the obvious conclusion is that we committed a crime that night."

"That's not what I'm thinking," Vince said, "The man was in the apartment where you and Julia lived and you had injuries yourself according to the medical report but she didn't."

"No, she wasn't close enough to him."

"What was he doing in the apartment," Vince asked, "Was he invited?"

She looked at him and then shook her head.

"Did he break in for some reason?"

"He got hold of a key," she said, "and he let himself in. That's where I saw him when I came home…standing there in front of me in the darkness."

"And what happened next…"

She looked at him a long time, feeling at that point more weary than wary.

"You can trust me."

And then she told him.

* * *

Matt looked again in disbelief at the photographs, lifting one of them for a closer look at its details. It depicted the figure of a woman who had been his best friend for ages standing against a stark background and holding a placard with her name, the date and a number on it.

In other words, a police mug shot.

Her face appeared bruised and the forehead above one of her eyes bandaged. Her eyes looked past the camera to someplace unknown. Her clothes looked borrowed as they didn't quite fit and there were bruises on her arms. What had she done to merit being arrested by police and booked into custody at least for a short period of time? And why hadn't she ever told him about this part of her past? Julia had been photographed as well and the bruise on her face appeared yellowish as if it were older.

But the pictures of Grant proved to be the most shocking.

Grant had suffered according to the medical reports, extensive bruising to his face and a concussion. Not to mention what turned out to be a subdural hematoma. He truly had been lucky to survive that injury and the resultant coma. Police reports were sketchy because neither of the women had provided much in the way of details about what happened; just that Grant had been discovered by paramedics and police at their apartment lying on the ground. Investigators surmised that a blunt object had struck him multiple times on the face and head.

Matt knew that at that point, Grant had no reason to be inside that apartment because he certainly wouldn't have been invited by either woman. So if he had been there and ended up suffering serious injuries then something else must have happened that didn't make in the reports. Probably because neither woman had related any such events to the police and he didn't know why they had remained silent.

He knew he had to get the answers to his questions especially now that Grant had apparently disappeared and gone underground.

* * *

C.J. sat next to Vince quietly after she told her story of what had happened that night some years ago. He hadn't said much just listened as she did the talking so as to get her recollections without interruption. She had expected him to ask her questions but he hadn't and when she finished talking, she looked over at him.

"I guess that's it."

Vince sighed, casting his line again out into the lake.

"So you never told that to the police."

She shook her head.

"All they wanted was enough to try to hold us for assault and battery with a weapon against Grant," she said, "They never seemed interested in what else happened."

"They never filed charges against either of you."

She shrugged.

"They didn't have any evidence," she said, "and they found the restraining order against him."

Vince shook his head.

"Should have taken his ass to jail after he came out of that coma," he said, "He should have been the one arrested and booked."

"He seems to always stay one step ahead of the police," she said, "And now with Mallory…"

"Your information on her was very helpful," Vince said, "We're going to take a closer look at Grant when we catch up to him."

"Not too soon for me," she said, "but too late for Mallory."

Vince sighed again.

"Not much we can do for her except find her killer."

C.J. nodded, standing up and then turned towards Vince.

"What I told you…"

"I can keep it between us if you'd like," he said, "or you can tell me how much you want the investigators to know but it's very important information."

"I know and it's okay to tell them," she said, "I just have to tell someone else about it who doesn't know and I'm not sure how to do it."

"He's your friend right," Vince said, "He should be there to listen to what you have to say and not judge it or you."

"It's not just that," she said, "He'll want to go out and find him and I don't want him to do that. He just got hurt badly and he's nearly better."

"He can't get involved," Vince said, "He's got to let the police handle this guy."

"You don't know him," she said, "Once he gets started he doesn't stop…that's how he got hurt in the first place and I don't want him to go through that again or worse."

"But you should tell him," He said, "I could go with you if you'd like."

She shook her head.

"I'll be fine," she said, "and thanks for listening."

"That's my job," he said, "and you shouldn't have had to wait years to find a cop that would listen."

She waved and then she left him, heading back to the cabin. As she walked through the woody part of the trail, she wondered where she would find the words she needed to tell him. Telling Vince had been difficult, as she had stumbled and stopped to take a breath in several sections. He never prompted her to continue but patiently waited for her to regain her foothold in her relating of what had happened.

The words came out slowly and she knew she'd have to find different ones for Matt but right now they eluded her.

* * *

Matt got off the phone with the clerk up in Berkeley who hadn't been able to give him much information on the restraining order that C.J. had been carrying. He had tried other sources but the trail had gone cold and he knew that the best chance of getting his answers came from a woman who kept that part of her life under tight hold for a reason.

The door opened and she walked inside the cabin and saw him sitting in the living room, a bunch of photographs and papers in front of him and then she knew.

She looked at him trying to hide the shock on her face but not doing a very good job of it.

"Houston…"

He looked up at her face and saw anger, fear and what looked like sadness all wrapped up together at the same time.

"C.J…"

She just stayed by the doorway and Matt wondered if she would turn around and walk right out again. If she did that, where would she go, in the middle of the mountains, miles away from L.A. But she didn't bolt, even as she didn't approach him.

"Where did that come from?"

He sighed.

"In an envelope that I found in the mailbox," he said, "No information on the sender."

She rubbed her forehead.

"I know who sent it."

He studied her face carefully.

"It was Grant, wasn't it?"

She nodded.

"He told me he would when he called me."

Matt's brows shot up.

"He called you?"

She looked back at the front door.

"Don't go," he said, "Why don't you come here and sit down and we can discuss this?"

"I think I'll stay here."

"C.J. he's disappeared…the police can't even find him and if he's contacting you…"

"It was before that happened," she said, "When Murray had started the background on him through HR."

"He mentioned that too?"

"Yes, he knew about it," she said, "and it doesn't matter and he's right…because it will only trace conclusively to him being a victim of crime."

"And you and Julia were arrested for it."

"Just for a little while," she said, "Then the police let us go…lack of evidence."

"That wasn't the only reason was it," he said, "That restraining order you took out had his name on it."

She took one tentative step closer.

"Yeah it did, not that it was worth that much as it turned out," she said, "They tend to cause more trouble than they stop."

"And that's what happened to you and Julia," Matt continued, "This incident happened after the restraining order."

"Not long after it was filed, yes."

He watched her still standing too close to the door and he knew if he said the wrong words to her, phrased what words came to him the wrong way, she'd be gone. And with Grant wandering around out there, that might put her safety at risk.

"C.J. you do know, you can tell me anything," he said, "You can trust me."

And she looked into his eyes when he said that and so much wanted to believe him but she held back. She couldn't even trust herself at this point, never mind anyone else including him. She had just given information on that painful chapter of her life to a cop she barely knew who would pass it along and then who knew what would happen next? It might help them find Grant and connect him with Mallory's murder and it might create more danger for her and for Matt. And considering that he had been badly injured not too long ago, she couldn't put him at risk.

Matt apparently read her mind.

"I'm feeling perfectly fine," he said, "so don't let my recent setback stop you from sharing what happened with me."

She shook her head.

"Not until you promise me you won't do anything rash."

Oh Matt knew he wasn't going to like this one bit but he had to forget all about that and listen to what she had to say. She needed him whether she realized it or not just as he had needed her.

"I promise."

Looking into his face, she knew the cost that affirmation had exacted so now she had to her part. She walked over to a chair across from him, curling her legs beneath her and she looked directly at him, so he could read what had happened before she told him.

"There's something I should have told you a long time ago…"

And Matt prepared to listen.


	21. Chapter 21

Latest update up! Thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

When C.J. had arrived that home at night, she had been surprised to feel the knob of the door turn so easily in her hand and she had realized that it hadn't been locked. Maybe Julia had arrived home already, earlier than she had planned and had been reading or doing something quiet. The apartment had looked so dark and no sound could be heard from the outside. But Julia could have fallen asleep somewhere even the couch in the living room.

So C.J. opened the door and stepped inside the darkened room where the only light had been cast by streetlights through the windows. The living room looked empty and there were no signs of Julia there or in the adjoining kitchen but perhaps she was in her bedroom and hadn't heard her come inside.

But then she heard something move, a rustle against the sofa and some soft footsteps.

"Julia…"

Then she looked up and saw the shape, the outline of a tall man who looked slightly familiar. Something about how he stood and watched her now.

Just like had been doing outside their window from the sidewalk.

"Grant…what are you doing here?"

He didn't move at all, he just kept staring at her.

"I came to speak to Julia."

She felt confused, so her friend wasn't in the house, then how…

"Who let you inside?"

She felt him smile in that way of his even though she couldn't really see his face.

"I let myself in," he said, "I still have a key."

She started towards him, acting braver than she felt but anger fueled her movement, keeping her fear at bay.

"You need to leave…now."

He smiled and this time she saw him.

"Not until I've gotten what I came for…"

* * *

C.J. sighed from where she sat, looking at Matt who had been watching her very closely. Her breathing came rapidly until she stopped talking to catch up with it to rein in the emotions that threatened to get away from her.

"He wouldn't leave like I told him to until he talked with her…but she wasn't there. She was at the library studying for an exam I think. I tried to tell him…she wasn't…that he had to leave and the court said he couldn't be there."

"But he wouldn't leave would he," Matt said.

She shook her head and gathered her words again before her memories swept them away.

"No he wouldn't."

Matt picked up a photo of her face marred by some stitches up above her brow. The same place where a silvery scar existed now.

"How did this happen?"

She just looked at him directly .

"When he didn't like my answers to his questions."

* * *

C.J. couldn't tell the exact moment when he sprung from where he had been standing, moving so quickly he was upon her before she could react. Looking back, she should have seen his eyes darting around while she spoke checking out all possible escapes which could be taken by her and calculating how quickly he would have to move to cut them all off.

And when he grabbed her wrist, she didn't see it coming. She pulled her hand away and he released it, taking another step towards her.

"Where is she?"

She stood her ground and folded her arms.

"I don't know and if I did, I wouldn't tell you. You need to leave now before I call the police."

He had just laughed at her then and she knew he must have been drinking before he arrived her.

"They won't come, not for a piece of paper filled with lies," he said, "that the two of you made up about me."

"They're not lies," she said, "You need help Grant and you need to stay away from us in accordance with the order."

"Screw the damn order," he said, moving closer, "Now tell me where I can find Julia."

"No."

She saw his hand moving towards her before she felt it hit her face, catching her off balance and making her eyes water at the flash of pain. Her hands reflexively went to her face where it had been struck.

"I'm going to ask you again," he continued, cold anger highlighting his face.

Fear began to fill her but she shook her head again. The anger on his face would turn to rage and if he found Julia, he might kill her this time. She couldn't let that happen. He moved to strike her again and this time she blocked him. She did that several times but he finally grabbed her wrist sharply.

He could have broken it easily enough but instead he had quickly twisted it behind her back and pulled her to him. She tried to struggle from his grasp but by then, it was too late.

"I want to know where she is," he said, "and you're going to tell me."

* * *

C.J. rubbed her forehead where it had been marked by Grant. Matt watched her, feeling sick at what she had accounted. He fought to keep the questions from spilling out because he didn't want to stop her from talking until she had finished. But man, it proved difficult to sit in his chair while this ugliness of what had happened those years ago revealed itself slowly.

And he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach it would get a lot worse.

"He hit me with his fist while he held me and I tried so hard to block him but he's just too strong," she said, "but I couldn't tell him where she was because I knew he'd kill her, he was so filled with rage."

So she bore it herself to protect her friend, Matt realized.

"He got really angry and dragged me to the coffee table and slammed my head against the corner at one point, that's how my head got cut. I felt the blood down my face, stinging my eye. I couldn't see much after that."

Matt remained silent, thinking of a hundred different ways to track down Grant and make him suffer as he done to these women. She stopped talking and just started working on her breathing again. As someone must have taught her to do.

"I thought he would just keep hitting me until he ran out of rage but…no."

"So what happened," he asked quietly.

She looked up at him, her eyes darkening.

"He found another way to hurt me."

* * *

C.J. had fallen on the floor of the living room after he had struck her head several times against the coffee table. Blood had streamed out of some cut that had opened up; she could feel it trickling down her forehead into her eye, where it stung. Her eyes blurred as she lay on the floor and saw him standing over her. She tried to find a way to stand up but felt suddenly weak even though adrenalin rushed through her. But he just laughed.

"Well C.J. there's other ways to get what I want than from Julia since she's not around."

Her vision sharpened suddenly.

"After all, you're quite the beauty in your own less refined way."

She read his eyes and saw something different there, more frightening than his earlier rage.

"Get out of here," she said, trying to inject strength in her voice.

Suddenly he straddled her pinning her wrists over her head against the floor. His hot breath accentuated with Vodka against her face as his hand suddenly reached beneath her blouse.

"Not until we're finished here."

* * *

Matt watched her swallow noisily as she had returned back to that night. As if the events were in front of her and not him.

"Do you need something to drink," he asked.

She shook her head and rested it in her hand for a moment, collecting herself. But the memories that had been stored so deeply inside had rushed to the surface where they had been lingering just below for days…ever since she heard about Grant. Matt gazed at her a long time, wanting to ask one question but he waited patiently.

"I never thought he'd do that to me…I don't know why or what happened…"

Matt sighed.

"C.J., he's a bad guy, a really bad guy and the police are going to get him and it better be before I do."

"Houston…"

Matt ran his hand through his hair, emotions that he didn't recognize threatening to come to the forefront and rush him into action. But he had to keep them under control because this wasn't about him and what he wanted; it was about her and what had happened. So he had to do something very difficult at this point, which was to listen.

"He tore at my clothes…I felt his hand everywhere…I couldn't do anything…I never felt so scared and so I don't know…helpless maybe…I always thought I'd know what to do but I couldn't…"

"Did he…"

The words were painful for him to say and more than that to wait for her answer. She just looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the edges of her shirt.

"I thought when he tried to force my legs apart, he would…but then the door opened and I heard yelling. Julia had come home."

Matt guessed what had happened next, how Julia would react when she saw her ex-boyfriend the one who had beaten her attempting to rape her closest friend. She would do just like he would have done, tried to stop Grant even if it meant killing him.

"She grabbed something and she struck him with it, didn't she," Matt guessed.

C.J. looked up at him and nodded.

"She hit him several times and when I pushed him off of me, she kept hitting him with I'm not sure what but she got him in the head. After a while, he stopped moving."

"Then someone called the police…"

"I don't know, I think Mallory had been parking outside to join her and she came in just afterward and saw us. The police came about 20 minutes later and they seemed more intent on interrogating us on assault with a deadly weapon than on what happened."

"You both were arrested and booked but never charged."

She shook her head again.

"He was in the apartment," she said, "and the order said he couldn't be there. They put some heat on us but they had to back off and the case died."

"They never went after Grant even after you told them what happened?"

"No…and you don't know what it's like to be a woman and go through that…I didn't want to talk about it afterward. I just wanted to forget it. I tried to for a while but I realized it would still always be with me."

Matt wished she had told him about it but he understood what she meant, that it had been difficult back then and years later, still hadn't been easy. If Grant hadn't been a suspect in Mallory's murder, would she have ever told him?

"C.J. that's an awfully big secret to keep to yourself for so long," he said, "I'm glad you told me. I'm not going to lie and say I don't want to beat the crap out of Grant right now but you should never have had to keep that to yourself."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"I told the lieutenant who's been staying nearby what happened," she said, "and he's passing it back to the investigators on Mallory's case."

Matt nodded.

"They out looking for Grant?"

"They're trying to find him but it's like you said, he vanished."

Matt didn't like the sound of that at all. After what C.J. told him, Mallory's death began to make some sense if she had been at the house that night.

"What about Julia," he said, "Does she know?"

"She's been talking to the investigators I think," C.J. said, "That was her plan and they'll take steps to help keep her safe if necessary."

"That leaves you."

She shot him a look.

"I can take care of myself Houston."

He sighed.

"I know you're carrying a gun and you brought it here."

Her eyes widened.

"Houston…"

"It fell out of your purse," he said, "I didn't know you had one."

"It's permitted and I'm not ever going to let anyone get the upper hand on me again," she said.

"I'm not going to let anyone do that either," he said, "so I'm not leaving you alone either."

She didn't really want him to do that as much as she didn't like to admit it. So she just nodded quietly. He looked at her, saddened by what she had experienced during the time their lives had gone on divergent paths. A deeper instinct inside him almost drove him to wrap his arms around her and draw her close to him but something else told him she needed some distance right now. So he tried something else…

"Are you feeling up to some dinner," he asked.

She nodded again.

"I'll tell you what, we'll do a little barbecue out on the deck and I'll let you handle the vegetables because I'm hopeless there and then we'll look out at the sunset."

"Houston…I think it might rain later."

"Well then maybe we need to take out some umbrellas."

He saw a hint of a smile on her face as she got off the couch to help him in the kitchen. And when he reached out for her hand, she gave it to him and he squeezed it.


	22. Chapter 22

New chapter up, hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

C.J. just sat there eating her dinner and saying nothing as she took in the scenery in front of her. The sight of the glen of trees behind the cabin had always been a favorite spot to focus on when she really needed to think about something or to chase away unpleasant thoughts. She knew that he sat beside her but had respected her need for quiet. They had been like that in the kitchen preparing dinner before they had brought it out on the deck. She knew that his mind held many questions that he wouldn't ask unless she wanted him to do so. He knew her well enough to know that she couldn't be pushed to talk about anything that she had closed the door against and that he needed to just let it go. He seemed content to do that, enjoying the food that they had prepared and the scenery around them.

"Great dinner," he said, "We sure make a good team."

She nodded and he thought he caught a trace of a smile on her face.

"Beautiful out there," she said, "I think this is one of my favorite spots besides the lake."

"Rain's holding off for now," he said, "Area needs it anyway.

She knew that the winter rains fed the wildflowers in the spring and the summer rains, the beautiful autumn blooms. Not to mention that it cut down the wildfire risk that arose with the Santa Anas which hit the region starting in November. They had been coming out in the earlier months to clear away any dead or dying brush or leaves to reduce the risk to the cabin and so far, though there had been a fire or two in the vicinity, their area had remained unscathed.

You could never be too careful though. She knew that to be true about a lot of things. Her experience with Grant had taught her to be more careful with people who seemed too good to be true, too nice, too solicitous particularly men. She had taken that lesson with her into every relationship and had tried a few men's patience. But then that served as a culling process too as far as she was concerned. Julia had been less cautious than her as it turned out; she had been in another relationship inside six months from breaking it off completely with Grant. She had told C.J. that she couldn't let one bad experience with a guy stop her from living her life.

And several boyfriends later, Julia had met the man she would marry, the one who had seen her through her bouts with cancer. A man that C.J. had found to be very caring and nice, so different from Grant as different as two men could be.

"I hope Julia's doing okay," she said suddenly.

Matt turned to look over at her.

"The police where she's staying will look after her," he said, "and I don't think she's been getting contacted by her ex."

"No she hasn't," C.J. said, "Not as far as I know."

"But he's been hassling you since you've been out here…"

She nodded.

"Yeah, and I'm sitting around waiting for him to come here," she said, "but I didn't do so well against him last time."

"I'm not going to let him get even close."

She sighed.

"I know you want to protect me Houston," she said, "but I want to be able to protect myself. I don't want to be such an easy mark for a guy like that."

He heard the weariness in her voice that remained from back then. The helplessness she had felt when faced with Grant's violence hadn't faded with the passage of time. And he knew that the only real remedy for that was for her to feel confident about defending herself.

"C.J. if you want, I can teach you how to protect yourself," he said, "in case you need it."

"You mean how to fight better?"

"Well yeah, strengthen your weak points and use your strongest ones to your advantage," he said.

She looked down at her hands.

"I couldn't do anything that night and if Julia hadn't arrived…"

Her voice trailed off as the memories returned. He rubbed her upper back gently feeling how tense her muscles had gotten.

"You can't go back and change that night," he said, "You did what you could do, the best you could do against a man who outweighed you and who wanted to hurt you."

She nodded.

"But you can prepare yourself for any situation you might face," he said, "and developing those skills will help you in other ways as well."

She understood what he meant, that if she could defend herself better physically, it might loosen the control that the experience had over her.

"Okay…I'll take you up on that."

He smiled.

"We'll start tomorrow after my run," he said, "Well better yet you can run with me."

She folded her arms.

"Houston, are you sure you've recovered enough to handle someone like me?"

His brow rose.

"I can handle anything you throw my way," he said, "though we can start with the self-defense training."

She shrugged.

"Okay, but I have to warn you," she said, "I can be pretty tough and I can kick your ass on that run."

Matt didn't doubt it. When it came to physical endurance, she had more than he did because she loved to run and swim back in L.A. when they weren't working on business. Even when they traveled, she took her gym bag with her and would hit the hotel pool before they had even unpacked from their plane trip.

"First one to the bottom has to buy the other person dinner."

She nodded to that challenge and he knew she had already picked out her place to eat because she knew she could beat him. The run would serve as a good confidence booster to help her with developing the fighting skills afterward.

"You know how much I like my steak and potatoes," he reminded her, "and some Texan chili on the side."

She laughed at that and to him; it was one of the prettiest sights especially after what had just happened. Then she grew reflective when she looked at him.

"Thanks Houston…I think I really needed this," she said, "It's been hard trying not to remember what happened and with Grant out there…I had to bring it all back for Mallory."

"I know it wasn't easy for you."

"The lieutenant's really nice," she said, "He didn't hit me with questions and he seemed to care. That's so much different from the police back then."

"They arrested the wrong people," he said, "Maybe now that a woman's dead, they'll make it right."

"They took me into custody the first time after my head was stitched up at the hospital," she said, "but I spent the night with Julia and Mallory until they took me back to the station in the morning. Julia was there the entire time until just before dawn and her parents came and got her.

Matt thought about back then what it must have been like after what she had gone through to protect her friend and then to be treated like a criminal if only for a brief time. She needed so much more than she received from the people entrusted to protect and to serve when she had a victim of a crime herself.

"Do they want you to go back to L.A. for questioning?"

She shook her head.

"He took the information back and they'll decide how to handle it," she said, "but if necessary, they'll come out here to ask questions."

"Will you be okay with that?"

She nodded.

"It's helped to talk about it," she said, "I kept it inside me for a long time because dwelling on it wasn't helping and I had so much I wanted to do with my life. To go to law school and become an attorney. I wasn't about to let him take that away from me."

"You did all that and you've made a huge difference in what we built together."

She smiled.

"But you want something else," she said, "You want to be an investigator and I understand why."

She knew it had everything to do with the terrifying experience of having been kidnapped for ransom as a little boy and forced into a pit of darkness while his fate lie in the balance between a greedy kidnapper and guilt stricken father who hadn't been around much building an empire that attracted opportunists to victimize his son. Matt had grown up and had healed from that experience with the help of family and friends including her but he still bore its scars. She knew that this investigation gig that people rolled their eyes when he talked about it, would make a difference in his own life as well as in the lives of those he helped.

And despite some misgivings, she wanted to share that with him.

"I want to help people C.J.," he said, "I've built my business empire and it's been great getting there but I need something else in my life. I need to give back."

He had already set up a charity foundation or two but he was also looking for a mental challenge, an avenue to use his military skills and an adrenalin rush now and then. The kind he used to get when he sky dived in the military rode a bunking bronco or made a high-stakes business deal.

"I know…and I want to help you," she said, "I know some in the business world have said it's plumb crazy but I don't think so."

He looked over at the liveliness of her face which matched his when they discussed this particular dream they both shared.

"I guess we'll both find out when we open for business."

Suddenly they felt the drops of rain hit them and both of them looked up to see that the sunset had brought with it some cloud cover that promised rain.

"We'd better move this inside," he said, picking up some dishes.

"It's going to cool the air down some," she said, "and the air will smell so great afterward."

It would be pungent with all the odors of the plant life surrounding the cabin, drifting on a breeze that would chase the clouds out into the desert. And the wildlife which took shelter would come out again as soon as it had passed.

* * *

"We can make some popcorn and watch a movie," he said, as they began rinsing the dishes in the kitchen.

The rain struck the window harder and they could hear it patter on the roof above them.

"Sounds like a plan," she said, "as long as it's a comedy and we sit together."

So he made the popcorn and sprinkled it with garlic salt and butter the way they both liked and she saved him a spot on the sofa where he lay back and wrapped her in his arms, holding her next to him. She nestled in his warmth and he pulled the comforter over them as they watched the opening credits.


	23. Chapter 23

Hope you like this update and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

The rain storm had lasted through two movies and C.J. had drifted off to sleep during the second one, her head resting against his chest. He had held onto her thinking about everything she had told him about the experience she had kept deep inside her all these years. It had taken all his reserves to keep from going off to find Grant wherever he hid to beat him to a pulp. But he knew if he did that, he'd wind up in jail and not where his friend needed him. And he knew that with Grant running around out there below the radar of the police, he had to stick close to C.J.

She looked very tired and he knew the day had taken some of her strength out of her. But at least her face appeared peaceful in slumber. At least back then her friends had supported her but he wished he would have known what had happened.

But she hadn't wanted to tell him. Maybe because she knew better than he did what he might have done to Grant. And she would be right as he thought about all the ways he wanted him to feel the pain that he had unleashed in the women in his path. He brushed the hair away from her forehead which bore the scar of Grant's rage. The one that she had earned when she tried so hard to protect Julia from the man who supposedly loved her. Matt would never give Grant another chance to hurt the woman he cared about so deeply. And he would do whatever it took to teach her how to protect herself from him or anyone else who tried to hurt her.

She woke up suddenly and looked at him, her hair hanging loosely around her face.

"How much did I miss…."

"Not very much," he said, "You looked like you were tired."

She yawned.

"A little," she said, "Thanks for listening to what I had to tell you."

"Anytime…you know you can tell me anything," he said, "and I'll always be there for you."

She nodded slightly.

"I know that Houston…and it's not that I didn't before, it's just that it's not easy to talk about with anyone."

"I wouldn't think so," he said, "but I'm glad you did tell me."

She sighed.

"It's just that you have this image that everything in my life has gone the way I wanted," she said, "and that's mostly true but not all the time."

"C.J…"

"No I screw up too just like you Houston," she said, "I really screwed up badly that time."

He looked at her closely.

"C.J. that wasn't your fault what happened," he said, "It's all on him and if I find him…"

She shook her head.

"I shouldn't have been so careless," she said, "I knew the house shouldn't have been unlocked."

"He found a way in," Matt said, "There's no way you could have known that."

"I'd just filed a restraining order against him," she said, "He was stalking us both after Julia left him that last time."

Matt knew that men who were domineering and obsessive as Grant must have been would be relentless in getting at their targets and that there's not much that she or Julia could have done to avoid him. They had trusted the court system to back the pieces of paper they had taken about against him and that had proven to be lacking. But both of them had survived and had moved and his best friend had gone on to become a woman who graduated with honors from both the university and Harvard School of Law to become a great attorney.

"And now he's killed Mallory."

Matt figured that had been what happened to the young woman who had helped C.J. and Julia after they had been picked up for leaving Grant in a coma. But the police had lost track of him and so had everyone else and somewhere Grant had to be planning to show up somewhere. Possibly even here at the cabin.

The rain had diminished to a light shower as the night progressed.

"I think I'll just turn in," she said, getting up off the couch.

"Me too," he said, "You going to be okay?"

She looked at him then hesitantly but she nodded.

"I'll be fine," she said, "I'll be kicking your ass in the morning."

He smiled at her.

"I look forward to it."

She looked at him one last time before heading in her bedroom.

It took her a while to fall back asleep as she pulled the covers over her and listened to the last of the rain hitting the roof. When she closed her eyes, she saw him standing there in front of her as she had that night when she had frozen by the door. She tried to force it out of her mind but she kept returning to that night in her past, maybe because she had opened the door on it today.

She sat up finally and decided to do some reading and then she saw him in the doorway.

"I thought I heard something," he said.

"Oh it's just me," she said, "I'm having trouble sleeping."

"Me too," he said, "You want some company."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Maybe…just for a little while…then I'll be fine."

He walked over and she moved over so that he could lie next to her on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head against his chest.

"You just close your eyes and forget about the rest of the world for a while," he said.

"Easier to say it than to do it," she said, "with everything that's been going on."

"Just try, okay?"

She nodded against his chest and closed her eyes. He felt her weight on his chest and he stroked her hair. Her breathing gradually slowed and so did his own as he closed his own eyes and they both fell asleep to the rhythm of the rain and their own heartbeats.

The sunlight streaming through the window woke both of them up and she extricated herself from his embrace.

"I think we'd better get going," she said, "I'll even give you a head start."

He chuckled as he watched her walk towards the closet.

"I was thinking of doing that for you."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Come on Houston, you know I can outlast you on any run, so just admit it and take what I offered."

He shook his head.

"The first one down there buys the other dinner," he said, "That was the deal."

She thought about it as she looked for her training clothes.

"Okay…but I like pasta which means we'll be trying out that new place…"

Matt climbed out of bed and went to his own room to change, telling her he'd meet her by the kitchen door.

* * *

Not much later, they both headed towards the trail which led down those grueling switchbacks to the bottom of the gorge. She took off in an easy pace and he kept close to her as they navigated the first steep uphill. She loved going uphill hard while he loved pushing the down hills so they were keeping pace with each other. He looked over at her, her face concentrating on the pathway ahead.

"See any snakes?"

She looked at him.

"If they have any sense, they'll hear us coming and make themselves scarce."

"You getting tired?"

She shook her head.

"What about you," she said, "I think you're waiting until we get near the bottom of the last switchback to kick it in."

"C.J. if you can talk, you're not pushing hard enough."

She dug in deeper and she pulled ahead of them as they pushed up the final switchback which always produced the most burn in their muscles. The sun hit their backs as they neared the stream at the bottom and when she saw it ahead, she put her head down and she picked up her tempo before he knew what happened.

"You're dragging," she said, as she pushed ahead of him and reached the stream a couple of footfalls ahead of them. They both stopped and bent over, trying to regain their breath. He looked at her, and caught the triumphant look on her face.

"I guess we're having pasta, and some nice wine," he said, "How you feel?"

She still breathed quite hard when she looked at him.

"Great, I really needed that run" she said, "and so did you."

He tilted his head.

"I've been out here doing this every morning."

"And you look really fine doing it," she said, "but we'd better get on back up before we roast down here."

Matt stopped to dampen his shirt which he removed in the stream.

"Rain didn't fill it up much," he noted, "Sounded pretty impressive last night."

"Yeah it did," she said, "but I had some company that kept me too busy to notice."

Matt really enjoyed spending time with his best friend like this even when she kicked his butt in something athletic. He didn't feel threatened by it like some men would, men like Grant but he knew he had been matching strides with a woman in great physical shape.

She eyed him warily.

"Let's take it a little easier back up."

He nodded.

"I'll let you recover for a bit," he said, "but I might hit that last hill up there pretty hard."

She chuckled.

"Be my guest…but you still owe me dinner."

* * *

He stood behind her and grabbed her from behind and her body twisted as she struggled to flip him over.

"Use your core strength," he said, "You're very strong there and in your legs as you showed on those trails but you need to use them to help you."

She gritted her teeth and nodded, but damn he was pretty strong and he held her firm. And she knew that her friend had grabbed her not someone trying to hurt her but she had to focus. She had to forget who he was and see someone else holding her.

Someone like Grant. The way he had done that night, holding her tight in his grip, leaving her helpless.

"Come on, you can do it," he said, "I want to see you toss me…if you can."

Oh that motivated her, she tried to see Grant holding her and taunting her, the way he had when he had her pinned to the floor and had reached under her shirt. Rage in his eyes, his mouth twisted in a sneer as he made derogatory comments about her body.

And then she found that core strength that Matt had talked about and she twisted and shifted her balance faster than Matt could react. He fell over and then she got him with a side kick that he hadn't anticipated.

He lay there on the ground for a minute. She bent over eying him critically.

"Did I hurt you?"

He lunged for her leg and flipped her over on her back.

"Don't drop your guard," he warned, "Someone trying to hurt you is going to watch for that and the worst ones can sense it. "

She felt him on top of her and she almost freaked but she forced herself to do as he taught her and to use her hands this time as weapons on his vulnerable points near his face. Then she pushed him off of her and he went down again.

They both lay there breathing heavily.

"This is about the most fun I've had lying down," he said, "Well almost."

She bit back a grin and rolled over sideways to look at him.

"You're pretty good at this," she said, "but I want you to teach me more."

And so he did.

They hit the showers after that session and she felt the hot water ease the kinks out in her shoulders. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her as she got out. Matt knocked on the door and she opened it, sticking her head out.

"You've got a call," he said, "It's a woman named Mama."

Matt looked puzzled and she chuckled.

"I know here," she said, "from the laundry mat. I think she wants us over for dinner."

Matt nodded.

"Sounds great," he said, "She specializes in Italian right?"

She shot him a look.

"This isn't going to count as the dinner you owe me," she said, "but it will be fun."

She grabbed the phone from him and eagerly made plans with Mama for dinner that evening.


	24. Chapter 24

A new chapter is up. Thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt and C.J. left the cabin after getting dressed to go eat dinner with the Novellis. C.J. had asked Mama if she needed to bring anything over to them and the older woman had just said for them to bring themselves. She had some new recipes that she wanted to try out on her guests to get feedback on them before putting them on the menu at her restaurant.

C.J. agreed enthusiastically.

"We'll be there," she said, hanging up the phone.

And several hours later they were indeed heading out through the forest on a trail which led to the cabin less than a mile away. They thought it might be a good scenic walk and C.J. pointed out all the young trees which grew along the stream which fed the lake. Matt kept a lookout for any bears but none had been seen in a while.

"Houston, I don't think they're any more eager to bump into us as we are with them."

"I know but they have been known to pop out of the woods near that old tree stump with the bee hive."

Yes indeed, because they liked to dip into the honey comb there and their thick hides with fur protected them from any bee stings. But there hadn't really been any bear sightings for a while and C.J. thought maybe they had taken up higher in the mountains.

He put his arm around her as they headed into the grove of trees with overhanging branches which formed a ceiling over the passage way.

"It's so pretty here," she said, "and there are some nice flowers growing, amazing in all this heat."

"I think the natural coverage gives them some protection this time of year," Matt said, "but there are a lot of them."

The trail snaked through the thickest trees by the bubbling stream which had been flushed out by the rain into a nice torrent. It and other small streams along with natural mountain springs all flowed into the lake. The winter's rains had been quite generous this past year and the lake had reached its highest level which made fishing widely popular this year.

"I think I see it ahead," Matt said, "It's a nice design."

C.J. marveled at the architecture. It had a rustic style but also looked modernized at the same time. Two little boys were running around playing and yelling in a nice glen nearby while a woman with dark hair tried to get them to settle down.

"She looks like she's got her hands full," C.J. said, "That must be Vince's wife."

The woman saw them and she waved, before she walked over to them.

"Hi I'm Lucia," she said, "My husband and mother in law are in the kitchen. I try to stay out of it in the summer time."

C.J. and Matt shook hands with the woman and followed her into the spacious living room of the cabin.

"We're so happy that there's other life up here," Lucia said, "We've met a couple other neighbors but they keep to themselves."

"I'm C.J…and this is Matt, but most people call him Houston, which is his last name."

Vince came out of the kitchen and did a double take when he saw Matt who did the same thing. C.J. looked at them both puzzled. She could tell from their mutual expressions that they had already met under different circumstances.

"Houston this is…"

Matt sighed.

"I know him already," he said, "He nearly arrested me just before I left to find Will."

C.J. turned to Vince.

"And you…"

"He was messing up my crime scene," Vince said, "His friend was the primes murder suspect."

"He didn't do it Vince," Matt said, "He was innocent."

Vince raised his hands up.

"I know that," he said, "We did let him go after questioning."

Matt turned to her.

"C.J. he kept him in jail for two days even though he knew he shouldn't have been the prime suspect."

She just watched the two of them, not knowing whether they were going to argue or actually get into a fight.

"Houston…why don't we forget this right now," she said.

Mama chose that moment to walk in on them. She took charge right away and wagged a finger at her son.

"Vince…leave our guests alone," she scolded, "This is not the time to think about work."

"Mama…"

That finger waved even more vigorously at him.

"Not another word about your job," she said, "We don't want to sit around the table and eat a good meal talking about anything but vacation time."

C.J. agreed and turned to Matt.

"That applies to you too Houston," she said," Come on, forget your differences for a while and let's enjoy the time out."

She didn't know if he'd agree and wondered what really happened between the two men. Mama just shook her head at them.

"You going to behave yourself for a couple of hours Vincent?"

Her son sighed.

"Yes Mama, but if you know how much trouble…"

She cut him off with that finger.

"Enough…now we are nice and we eat soon," she said, "C.J. would you like some wine?"

She nodded.

"And you?"

Matt cast one glance at Vince and he said that would be fine. Mama asked her son to pour them two glasses and he obeyed her, leaving her alone with them.

"You'll have to forgive my son…he's police and can't keep his work at the station."

"He's very nice," C.J. said, "I've gotten to know him…and I'm sure Houston and he will be able to put aside their differences and get along better."

Matt didn't seem so sure about that. The man had nearly arrested him and had officers handcuff him and put him in a police car to take to the station for questioning and they had arrested the wrong man, one of his army buddies. But then on the other hand, C.J. had told him how nice he had been to her when she needed to talk to someone about her past with Grant. That did put him on better stead but he still remained wary of the cop.

"Houston has a hard time putting his desire to investigate everything aside," she said, "but he's very good at it and Vince seems an excellent and very dedicated police officer."

Mama smiled at that.

"Oh he is, too dedicated sometimes but he does a lot of good," she said, "Arrested a lot of bad guys and helped many people."

"You must be very proud of him," C.J. said.

Mama tried to appear nonchalant.

"I am…but someone's got to keep him in line and when he's here that's my job…to give his poor wife some rest."

* * *

Vince brought Matt and C.J. some wine and C.J. followed Mama in the kitchen to check out the food while Matt and Vince both went outside where Lucia still watched the two young boys. She smiled at her husband and when he asked her if she needed some relief, she told him she was fine.

"Nice lady…how'd she end up with you?"

Vince rolled his eyes at Matt.

"I guess she felt sorry for me…same as you and C.J.?"

Matt just looked at him.

"Look Vince, I'm really happy that you finally let that guy go but he spent two days behind bars."

Vince shook his head.

"We had enough to keep him until we found out someone else committed the murder," he said, "Why did you break into my crime scene?"

"I wanted to help my friend clear his name because the police were too busy trying to nail him instead of the real killer."

"Well we busted the real killer and he's facing a laundry list of charges which will put him away for life," Vince said, "so you can lay off now."

Until the next time they butted heads because Matt was working on getting his private investigative license but decided not to share that news with Vince yet. They both sat on the wooden steps and watched Vince's sons playing ball.

"You've got some pretty active kids."

Vince nodded.

"My wife came from a larger family than I did," he said, "so we've got a couple of kids or so to go."

"I was a single child myself," Matt said, "always wished I had siblings."

Vince sipped his wine.

"What about you and C.J.?"

Matt rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"We're not together in that sense," he said, "We're best friends since we were kids."

Vince sighed.

"She's very protective of you but she can keep you in line," he said, "I'm sorry for all the stuff that she's been through lately."

"I know she told you about Grant and what he did to her and to Julia," Matt said, "and probably to Mallory Claire."

Vince grimaced.

"My gut tells me he's responsible for her killing," he said, "but I need to have evidence though what C.J. shared really helped develop a profile of our missing guy."

"Yeah, he did drop out of sight didn't he," Matt said, "I know he'll pop up and if it's around here…"

"You've got to let the police handle it," Vince said, "He could be a very dangerous and very slippery guy."

Matt had a determined look in his eye that Vince was only beginning to recognize.

"I can give him much more than he can handle for what he did to her."

"Any reason to think he might drop in up here," Vince asked, "Is he still interested in C.J.?"

Matt paused.

"He's been contacting her," he said, "We assigned her to recruit him before we knew what he had done. She didn't say anything about it for a while."

Vince shrugged.

"It's probably painful for her," he said, "He did a number on her and her friend and that's bound to leave some scars."

Matt looked at his glass.

"Yeah…well if he returns and tries anything, he's a dead man."

Vince's face turned serious.

"There are laws against what you're thinking…"

That admonition didn't move Matt in the least.

"He's hurt her enough already," he said, "He's not getting another chance."

"You really care about her don't you?"

Matt looked at him and then nodded.

"Well I do too Mr. Houston," he said, "and we'll do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn't have a chance to harm her."

Matt looked out into the forest.

"The police weren't really helpful the last time he caused her trouble."

Vince nodded.

"She told me about that," he said, "and it was wrong how they handled it but unfortunately not that uncommon for crimes like domestic violence and stalking to not be taken seriously enough."

"And that's changed?"

"It has on my watch," Vince said, "and that's a promise."

Matt heard the sincerity in Vince's words but he didn't know if he trusted a system which had already failed C.J. once. But she had taken a chance and had trusted Vince enough to share a painful chapter of her history even before she told him. He knew that despite his differences with the lieutenant, he had to honor that for her sake. So, he would have to put aside his past disagreements with Vince and they'd have to find a way to work together. After Vince got it through his head that Matt had no intention of sitting on the sidelines whenever his friend was involved.

C.J. came out and saw them sitting together, looking as if at least they hadn't tried to kill each other.

"You two have agreed to get along?"

Matt nodded.

"At least for dinner," he said, "and we'll see about after that."

She looked at Vince. He appeared to be in agreement.

"As long as he stays away from my crime scenes," he said.

She smiled at them, nodding.

"Mama's got the dinner set on the table," she said, "She'll come out looking for you if you don't come in now."

Vince nodded.

"That means we'd better hurry," he said, "Believe me, you don't want to experience Mama when her dinner's sitting there getting cold."

They all went inside after Lucia herded the two boys.

* * *

The meal tasted delicious they all agreed as they dipped into the pasta and fish, along with antipasto and more wine. Mama and Lucia talked about having gone into the village to see a movie with the two children and about getting ice cream afterwards.

"Vincent here was too busy talking to his supervisor…"

Mama just shook her head and Vince gritted his teeth.

"Mama…they had a break on the Claire case," he said, "I had to follow up."

"Ah, the murder of that poor young girl," Mama said, "The man who did it…where is he?"

"We're looking for someone of interest," Vince said, "Meaning we want to question him."

Mama reached for the antipasto.

"Will you find him and lock him up," she said, "or he might kill some other poor girl."

Vince sighed.

"We're trying not to let that happen," he said, "but he's hiding himself pretty well."

C.J. sat there listening quietly and Matt looked over at her, squeezing her shoulder gently.

"You okay?"

She nodded.

"I'm with Mama though," she said, "I really wish they'd catch up to him before he does it again."

* * *

They said goodbye sometime after finishing off some gelato and they headed back down the darkened trail where they heard crickets in the background. The moon lighted up much of the trail ahead of them as they walked. C.J. tried not to look out into the woods because if she did, she'd see shadows everywhere.

And not of bears either. She would be imagining Grant out there trying to find her and them. Which almost seemed silly during daylight hours because why would he bother when it made more sense to just make a clean escape? But then he had never done what made sense.

"They're nice people," Matt said.

She smiled, taking his hand.

"Even Vince?"

"Yeah…he's difficult to deal with but he cares about you and that matters a lot to me."

"He's been very helpful Houston," she said, "He's gotten me to talk about things I put away in my mind and if it helps find Mallory's killer…"

"They will find him, whether it's Grant or someone else."

But she knew that Grant had killed her college friend and she figured Matt did too. They also both figured there was a better than even chance he might be on his way here to find them. After having promised to do that to her just recently.

She shivered involuntarily.

"Feeling cold?"

She shook her head.

"I just don't want to see him," she said, "I want the police to find him."

"If they don't and he comes here…"

She sighed.

"Houston…I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing's going to happen to me," he said, as they continued walking, "But he's not going to get any chance to do anything if he comes here."

"But you're still getting better yourself," she said.

"I'm doing just fine C.J.," he said, "I can handle Grant."

C.J. knew that his physical strength had greatly improved since he'd come to the cabin thanks in part to his daily regimen but he still had yet to completely recover from what had happened to him. He had mental scars of his own after all.

They continued walking without saying much. She worried about him if Grant did show up and Matt couldn't fight him. She knew that the training she had just received would greatly help her even the odds but she knew how formidable Grant could prove to be, especially if he showed up armed with weapons. He hadn't needed one to control her when she had been younger but she knew he'd prepare himself if he decided to come find her.

Julia had called earlier and had police guarding her at her family home. She knew that despite her friend's calm words, she felt frightened already having enough on her own plate to deal with concerning her illness. But Julia had proven to be tough in her own right having grown from her own experience.

"You tired?"

C.J. looked over at him.

"A little, how about you," she said, "You had a hard day keeping up with me…and you still owe me dinner."

He smiled.

"And I plan to pay up…unless you want to try for double or nothing…"

She snorted.

"No way…a deal is a deal," she said, "We can find other things for wagers if you'd like to remain motivated with your training."

He took that as a definite challenge.

"Oh so you want to do round two in the morning?"

She nodded.

"Why yes of course…"

Then she froze and he noticed the expression which crossed her face.

"Houston…"

"What…"

"Listen…"

He did and then frowned.

"I don't hear anything."

She turned to look at him.

"Exactly…."

He sighed, looking out around them into the dark forest.

"The crickets stopped making noise."

That meant something was out there in the woods, and not too far away from where they stood.

"Do you see anything," she asked.

He didn't, but that didn't mean nothing…or no one was out there. What if Grant had made it up to the mountains and started tracking them?

"C.J. don't worry," he said, "It's probably just an animal."

She tilted her head.

"Who's worried Houston," she said, "unless Grant's nearby stalking us."

They both stopped in their tracks and listened intently and then out of the corner of her eye, C.J. saw a shadow near one of the trees.


	25. Chapter 25

Another installment is done, thanks for reading and the feedback!

They both looked at the tree but the shadow didn't move.

"What is it," she asked.

Matt narrowed his eyes to try to break through the darkness of the surrounding woods but couldn't see any outline or shape.

"It might be a reflection of one of the trees."

C.J. hoped so, but she remembered what it had been like to walk through the college campus in Berkeley at night from class, sensing Grant's presence all around her and this was after she had gotten the restraining order. She had seen his shadow everywhere the street lights cast shadows from the trees and the nearby campus buildings.

Every crackling branch had to be his footstep, every rustling leaf blown in the breeze, his voice. She had turned around after thinking she saw him out of the corner of her eye and had only seen empty space.

And then a memory slipped in front of her.

"Houston…"

He looked away from the shadow towards her, noticing that she seemed focused on something else.

"What?"

"I remembered something," she said, "I remembered Naomi."

He watched the interplay of different emotions on her face, as she remembered something from her past.

"Was she a friend of yours?"

C.J. shook her head.

"I really didn't know her that well," she said, "but she was in my forensics speech class, one of the brightest students until that day…"

Her eyes darkened suddenly.

"What happened," he asked.

C.J. sighed.

"She disappeared…just didn't show up for class one day," she said, "It was really strange because that was the day we were both scheduled to give our final speeches. Nobody ever saw her again."

"Did she just leave school?"

C.J. remained silent but started walking again.

"C.J…"

She turned to face him again.

"Oh…I was just trying to remember," she said, "Her boyfriend Clarence was brought in by police for questioning but he was as mystified as everyone else."

"Did they question Grant?"

It was a simple question but she looked at him startled.

"No…I don't think so," she said, "He was still with Julia at the time but things weren't going well between them. He was so controlling and Julia, she just hated that."

Matt could guess based on how well he knew C.J.'s friend that she would have clashed against any attempts to dominate her which spoke to how volatile their relationship had been. C.J. realized that the young woman she had sat next to in class who didn't show up one day could have been another victim of Grant's. Who knew how many others were out there that remained unknown? After all, Naomi had never been seen again, alive or dead.

They neared the cabin and C.J.'s heart began to beat normally, her muscles relaxed. Matt looked at the cabin which awaited them and they walked up the steps. They went inside and C.J. settled on the couch after flipping the light.

"I had a great time," she said, "They're so nice."

Matt had to agree even though he and Vince still clearly didn't see eye to eye on everything. One thing they did agree on was that they needed to work together to keep C.J. safe. He went into the kitchen to fetch himself a beer.

"Do you want one?"

She nodded and rested back on the sofa thinking about Naomi. What had happened to her? Had she run into Grant and had something happened to her as a result? Why would Grant harm or kill a woman and then go back to Julia as if nothing had happened? How could someone compartmentalize themselves so effectively? Obviously he hadn't been too good at it for too long because he had turned his rage on his girlfriend and those around her until that night Julia had sent him to the hospital.

Matt returned to the living room and handed her a beer. He sat down next to her and took a sip.

"They're going to find him…or I will."

"Houston, you have to be careful," she said, "Grant is very dangerous and you've been injured not too long ago. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I can handle him," he said, "and I meant what I said to Vince if he shows up here."

And of course Vince had warned him about the danger and the legal issues with such behavior, but C.J. knew her best friend and knew that once he made up his mind to do something, he was about set. She just hoped that Grant had been playing with her head when he had made those comments, sent those email. Telling her that he would be trying to find her.

She sipped her own beer, trying to push her apprehension out of her own mind. Matt saw it and he put his beer down on the coffee table and put his arm around her, drawing her close.

"I know you're worried about him," he said, "but you don't have to be."

She sighed.

"I'm not as scared of him as I once was," she said, "Your training's really helped me feel like I can defend myself."

"You won't be alone," he said, "I'll be right here with you."

She knew he meant his words and that scared her more than anything about her own safety. Watching him lying in the hospital bed for weeks had been an ordeal that she had struggled through, keeping her fears to herself and trying to put on a brave and confident front for him so he could focus on recovering. He had gotten so much stronger since he arrived here but that didn't mean he was ready for a life and death struggle with a crazed man who had killed before, albeit women who couldn't fight back.

Mallory and now possibly Naomi too, and maybe others who disappeared, remembered only by those who loved them.

Her phone rung suddenly and she reached for it.

Julia.

"Hi, how are you doing," she asked.

"Great…surrounded by enough cops to make me feel like I'm Ft. Knox."

C.J. smiled.

"It's for your own safety," she said, "Grant's still out there somewhere and no one can find him."

"He better not show up near me," Julia avowed, "or he'll wind up in the hospital again."

"Julia, you have to be careful and do what the police tell you."

"Are you doing that C.J.," her friend said, "How many cops are guarding you right now?"

C.J. sighed.

"It's different here," she said, "It's Houston and there's an LAPD cop with his family not far away."

She thought she would hear exasperation in Julia's voice.

"Well make sure that you stay safe and that goes for Matt too."

"I'll tell him," C.J. said, "I'm hoping that the police, any police, find him soon."

"Me too…the tension is killing me."

C.J. heard weariness in her friend's voice and grew concerned because after all, Julia had been fighting illness and was currently in remission.

"You take care not to wear yourself out…"

"I'm feeling just fine," Julia said, "Especially now that my guy is here."

C.J. relaxed, happy at least that despite her friend's hardship, she had found a man who loved her without needing to control her. She looked over at Matt.

"I'd better let you go now," she said, "Take care and stay safe."

"You too and you and Matt take care of each other."

C.J. clicked off her phone and after putting it down, turned to Matt.

"Julia's doing okay," she said, "Her family and the cops are taking good care of her."

Matt nodded.

"Would you like some officers stationed here?"

She shook her head.

"I'm fine with having you here."

He wrapped his arms around her.

"This is actually quite nice. "

She agreed, liking the way she felt secure in his warmth.

"Houston…"

"Mmmm…"

"Do you miss L.A.?"

He grew silent and she knew he was thinking about it.

"I mean there's not as much of a social scene out here in the woods."

"There's plenty of socializing right here."

She sighed.

"You know what I mean," she said, "You sure you don't want to give Crystal a call or is it Wendy or Pilar?"

Actually at one time or another it had been all of the above but he hadn't really given them much thought since he and C.J. had left the hectic civilization of the big city and had gone to the cabin in rustic surroundings.

"C.J. you're a hell a lot more fun than any woman back in the city."

"Really," she said, "How can that be? I mean you miss the sex don't you?"

She might as well as dropped coffee in his lap.

"Uh, C.J. what are you getting at?"

"Houston, it can't be all that thrilling to be spending weeks up in a cabin with…"

"I wouldn't be with anyone else," he said, "Where's this really coming from anyway?"

She bit her lip.

"I mean if you wanted we could…"

She moved in his embrace and then she lightly touched his mouth with her fingers before she kissed him. A light brushing at first which flowed gently into her lips caressing his own. At first, startled, he soon began kissing her back. His hands began rubbing her arms, and her own hands found his hair.

They shifted position on the couch to get closer to each other.

"Ouch," she said, suddenly.

"Sorry about that…"

"It's okay…this isn't the best place to…"

She pulled away suddenly.

"What are we doing anyway?"

"I thought it was obvious," he answered dryly.

"I mean…we're friends, not…"

"Lovers…I believe that's the word you're looking for," he said, hopefully.

She shook her head.

"This isn't what we should be doing at all."

He narrowed his eyes.

"How do you figure that," he said, "I thought that things felt just fine."

Her cheeks flushed.

"I know…I felt that too."

"Then what's wrong?"

She sighed.

"This…Houston, you're my best friend and I don't want to jeopardize my friendship with you…for a quick roll in the hay."

He listened, knowing this wasn't the first time they had this conversation as it had happened a couple times previously including on a business trip they had taken together to Tokyo. But to him, nothing seemed wrong with it. They were young, single and in a cabin by themselves with time on their hand. What was so wrong with throwing caution in the wind and exploring another dimension in their relationship? It's not like their longtime friendship would come crashing down if they hit the sheets.

At least not in his opinion. Her opinion clearly was much different but he never understood the logic of it. Whatever happened between them would be memorable and very pleasurable and how could that possibly be wrong?

She just withdrew from him, getting on her feet and looking at him, a little bit sadly.

"This just isn't going to work out," she said, "I'd better go…"

Matt knew that right now he needed to go…take a cold shower. He wondered if that was where she was heading and if they had to suffer through it, why not together?

She must have read his mind because she waggled her finger at him.

"Houston…do not follow me," she said, "I'm going by myself and I'll see you in the morning."

He watched her walk away from him, and sank back on the couch with a sigh, as he heard the door close and her turning on the shower.

Seriously why was she making everything between them so complicated?

Inside the bathroom, as the water ran, C.J. sank on the floor and started crying.


	26. Chapter 26

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* * *

She came out of the bathroom a while later wearing a robe and he noticed her eyes had reddened. He blinked his eyes looking at her, had she been crying. She saw him watching her and gave him a weak smile.

"I left some cold water…"

He smiled back at her attempt at humor.

"C.J…"

She shook her head.

"I'm okay…really I just got a little carried away back there."

He leaned against the wall, eying her. She felt his examination and started to walk to the bedroom. Her hair still remained damp, the wavy ends resting on her shoulders. The same hair that he had just caressed not long ago, its tendrils feeling like woven silk in his hands as he brushed her hair off of her face. And her soft skin, inviting his touch as had the sparkle in her eyes, accentuated by a bit of fire, a bit of emerald in their hazel. One taste of her mouth with a hint of cinnamon and mint, and he had been the one in danger of getting lost.

"I don't know if I'd call it that."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I think I would…it's never been like that between us Houston."

He sighed, thinking that she had always been so beautiful yet hadn't seemed to be as affected by it. Her life had always been focused on developing her mind and stretching it as far as it could possibly go including graduating with honors from one of the nation's top law schools. But that didn't subtract from her loveliness at all, in fact it added to it. He just hadn't spent most of his life realizing just how much.

Not until she had come back into his life after finishing at Harvard to come work with him, and walked into his office that morning, dressed in her best business attire and looking him straight in the eye in that confident style he had always known, daring him to not hire her. And he couldn't say no to bringing her aboard to help him build his business empire just like he couldn't say no when she had kissed him like that.

And then she had pushed him away. Reminding him of the boundaries of their lifelong friendship and that it had lasted as long as it had because sex had been kept out of it. Matt didn't really buy that rationale but he had respected it because he cared so much about her.

She stood now looking at him, wrapped up in a blue robe that hugged her curves, the ones he could reach out and touch if she…they could just forget those rules for a while.

"I can't do it Houston…"

He heard the sadness in her voice, mixed in with the conviction.

"Do what," he said, "Oh you mean…"

She shook her head and hugged her body with her arms. He watched the flurry of emotions on her face as she struggled with her feelings, because it hadn't just been him in a moment of weakness after all. She had wanted more too.

"Yeah…and I'm sorry if I started something I couldn't finish…"

"It's okay," he said, "No harm done…I would never want you to do anything you didn't want to do."

She looked up at him.

"I wanted to kiss you," she said, "and once that starts…well you're kind of sexy…"

He smiled.

"Now you know it's true," she said, "All those women…"

C.J. just looked away at that moment, feeling self-conscious. He wondered if she had any idea what kind of impact that had on a man. But then she had her share of relationships including since they had moved to L.A. She kept a pretty busy social calendar herself until he got injured and then she had spent most of her time looking after him in one way or another.

Like she had been doing here.

"C.J…they're not you."

Oh that warmed up her insides to hear him say that. But with him, dating the opposite gender had been a game, almost sport as it often was for very good looking, highly successful businessmen. Almost an extension of pursuing the next business deal in the world of high finance. She saw it all the time, the most well heeled men going after the most beautiful women. Not that Matt was quite like most of the rest of them but she had no desire to be anyone's prize for the night, not even her best friend's.

Especially her best friend's.

* * *

He looked at her and headed to the shower while she went to the kitchen to go make some herbal tea before heading off to bed. She had been unnerved anyway before their kiss. The walk through the woods back from having dinner with Vince and his family, where shadows seemed to loom near every tree and the sounds…

Somewhere out there she wondered if he had been waiting. And watching them as they walked by unaware. Had he known that they had been out to dinner with some friends, had he watched them there?

She just had this creepy feeling, a tingling on the back of her neck that he was nearby. Even as the police still looked for him closer to his last haunt, L.A. Even though one of his ex-girlfriends and a close friend of hers remained under guard by a detail of cops, hoping he didn't show up there.

She heard the wind blowing the trees outside the cabin and occasionally one would strike a window and she would have to talk herself out of panicking. Why was she feeling so uneasy? The answer to that hit her like the feeling of ice on her skin, because he had told her he was coming to see her.

Her legs threatened to weaken from under her and she held onto the counter as she poured water into the kettle to boil it. She watched the thin leafy branches outside the window nearby waving in the breeze, outlined by the light of the moon. If Grant had wanted, he could just stand outside that window, plant his feet in the loose soil and peer right inside and they would never even know it.

He had to be out there somewhere. Watching her and waiting for just the right moment.

Her hand trembled slightly as she poured the hot water over her teabag and watched the mixture of herbs including hops, lavender and chamomile blend their flavors into their medium. She thought that she really needed to be ready if Grant appeared to make good on his threats. The skills that Matt had taught her in that crash course were very helpful but she needed more training to feel even close to confident.

She sipped her tea, awaiting the relaxation that would flow through her from the herbal mixture, closing her eyes. Not wanting to keep her eyes focused on the window, lest she might see something…or someone who didn't belong there.

"You still up?"

She looked and saw him enter the kitchen.

"Just until I finish my tea," she said, smiling, "Then I'm off to bed."

He saw the expression in her eyes and then he understood.

"C.J…he's probably not out there, certainly not in the woods where he's never been," he reasoned, "and I'm not going to let him inside the cabin."

She sighed.

"Houston, he's very smart, very ruthless and stealth like a hunter," she said, "I'm beginning to wonder if he doesn't have a whole slew of women as victims."

Matt nodded slowly, believing that could well be the case. After all, the woman back East, Mallory and even the still missing Naomi. The fact that two out of three of them had ties to Grant and had disappeared, never to be seen again cast a huge cloud of suspicion his way.

"The police are out looking for him in various jurisdictions," he said, "If he were smart, he'd use his money to leave the country, at least for a while."

"He's smart but he's got other things driving him," she responded.

Not that he didn't have chalets in Europe and a bungalow on some island in the Bahamas, because he had poured the incoming wealth from his business acumen into material possessions including residences elsewhere. Though she doubted they satisfied him as much as the women he had owned.

She finished her tea but still felt uneasy, so she wrapped her arms around herself and walked towards the window, finally unable to keep away from it. She just had to know if he were standing there watching them.

"Houston…"

"What?"

"Thanks for teaching me those defensive skills," she said, "Can we practice them again in the morning?"

"Sure thing…after we do our run of course."

Her brow rose.

"Our run…wait a minute, you're giving me some ownership of your daily torture?"

He smiled.

"Some torture," he said, "You make it look easy."

She didn't see any shapes amongst the trees, or an outline of a figure by the shrubbery which allowed her to breathe a little easier.

"It's not really that bad," she said, "but I've always been in better shape than you."

"Oh really, you think that's true?"

She nodded, turning her back to where she had looked.

"But I need to be strong, and quick if he does show up here," she said.

He saw the fear in her eyes that she didn't like showing anyone or for people to see. She always had liked to keep it under wraps when it felt strongest. But he had known her for way too long, and they had gone through way too much together for her to hide it from him.

He walked up to her.

"Come here…"

She folded her arms.

"No…I'm fine," she said, "Ready to kick his ass if he comes through the door…or the window."

He approached anyway.

"I know…but I'm going to make sure he doesn't even get that close."

"How…he seems to be able to do what he wants these days," she said, "I'm sure that Mallory didn't want her life to end like that. She always had so many dreams, plans for her future back in college and that part of her didn't change…"

But for Mallory, her life had been brutally stolen from her by some crazed killer that she probably had recognized one second too late. Not that she wouldn't have been guarded around him if she had a chance to see him before their fatal encounter but then again, Grant often gave very little warning. She knew that herself.

She didn't ever want to know that again. And Matt read that on his face and couldn't help himself, he took that extra step and his arms went around her and drew her close to him. Through his own chest, he could feel the rapid heartbeat which betrayed her fear beneath her smile. She rested her head against him and her breathing began to slow down. The images that kept popping in of Grant faded into the background of her focusing on him and of grounding herself, allowing the calming effects of the tea to seep into her muscles.

* * *

At that moment, a phone rang. First, she thought it was her cell but saw that it was a phone that hung on the wall of the kitchen. Matt looked at her, wondering who could be calling this late at night.

But she didn't have to wonder, because she knew.

"I'll get it…"

She watched him catch the phone by the fourth ring and listen intently, his face etched in concentration.

"Who is it Houston?"

He looked over at her.

"Just silence and then the click of hanging up," he responded, "Could be a wrong number or…"

"It's him," she said, with certainty of experience, "He's checking up on us."

"This number's not listed…"

"It doesn't have to be," she said, "Not with him."

But a phone call didn't tell them very much except that he was keeping tabs on them, wanting them to know that he was out there watching and biding his time. Wanting to ratchet the fear factor up a notch so when he made his appearance from the shadows, he'd have all the advantages.

Like hell he would, she thought, she'd be ready for him. But she worried about Matt and what kind of shape he would be in, still in recovery. He was nearly back to believing he was as strong as before and his kind of invincible or close enough to it, but he could still be vulnerable.

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"Are you going to be okay tonight?"

Damn he could pretty well read her thoughts, but she had to project strength not weakness even to him, that she could handle herself, certainly getting to sleep.

She nodded.

"I'll be just fine," she said, swallowing her trepidation, "I'll see you in the morning."

She walked over and placing her hands on him, tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek, her soft lips pressing into his skin.

He watched her head off towards her bedroom and then he headed to the living room and his computer, booting it up. There had to be something about Grant that they had missed, some little factoid that might help Matt find out where he was vulnerable and so if he did show up…

Well Matt would be ready and waiting for him, armed with the power to deliver that final blow if necessary. No one was going to threaten harm to her and think he could get away with it. If Grant believed that, he had another thing coming.

And it wasn't going to be pretty, Matt thought as he focused on the glow of his computer while listening to the wind brush the tree branches against the windows.


	27. Chapter 27

The latest update of this FF is now up. Thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt still sat by the computer the next morning, having spent all night on it without finding much on the shadowy life of Grant Sullivan. He yawned and stretched his arms after pushing the laptop away. The man he had researched had left a trail all over the planet but most of it appeared to be rather innocuous traveling often done by up and coming businessmen. Men like himself, he knew having done his time on his Lear Jet to conduct business as well.

He had hoped to find something, anything to find out where Grant might be hiding and more importantly where he might be heading. In her bedroom, C.J. slept soundly, having been exhausted by the day's exertion and no doubt, the stress that had accumulated ever since she had learned about Grant's reemergence and now is disappearance.

Matt stretched out on the couch as the sunlight began to send pale threads through the window. He might just close his eyes for a moment…

"Houston…are you up," C.J. said, looking down at him sleeping, "We've got to get up and running before the sun really gets too hot."

He opened his eyes, adjusting them to a room much brighter than it had been a moment ago.

"I must have fallen asleep."

She looked at him funny.

"That's usually what people do at night Houston."

"I know…I couldn't sleep last night and as you can see wound up here."

She put her hands on her hips, already being dressed in workout clothes.

"Are you up to this Houston, because you can skip a day if you want," she said, "You have been training really hard in the mornings."

He shook his head and hoisted himself off the couch.

"I'll be out in a minute," he said, "We've got the run and then some more defense training for you."

She looked at him doubtfully.

"If you're up to it," she said, "but you look tired."

He reassured her again he was just fine and headed off to his bedroom to change out of yesterday's clothes into his training gear.

* * *

They hit the trail after grabbing a quick bite to eat, nothing heavy, just some cereal to keep the hunger pangs at bay and fuel their exercise which promised to be intense at least on her end. She really felt like stretching out into full flight down the trail and even through the rigorous switchbacks. He on the other hand looked like he wanted to head to bed…to sleep for a change. She kept her energy in check out of consideration for his own condition.

"You can run along ahead," he said, "Don't let me slow you down."

"Oh Houston, this is what you get for staying up all night," she said, "Was it work?"

"Yeah...just some research I needed to do."

She kept at an easy jog of which he was grateful.

"You had to do it last night," she said, "and just give it to Murray who's not on vacation?"

He kept jogging as they hit the steepest part of the hardest switchback.

"I just felt restless…I've been taking it too easy."

She looked over at him.

"You ready to go back to work?"

"I'm ready now, but we're staying here until Grant is caught."

She slowed her pace when she saw him tire. Although mostly recovered, he still wouldn't be a 100% for a while yet especially if he kept having these late nights. She would just have to be more strict with him whether he liked it or not.

They reached the bottom finally and he bent over putting his hand on a large boulder to catch his breath.

"You won that one…"

"Houston, I know you're tired so I cut you some slack," she said, stretching her quad muscles.

"Oh you did, did you," he said, "and I still owe you that dinner since we went to Vince's last night."

C.J. shot him a reproaching look when she caught the tone of his voice.

"He's a nice guy, Mama's very nice and well he's been good to talk to the past few days."

He felt chagrined when he heard her words. Despite their initial impressions of each other, Matt knew he owed Vince for being there when C.J. had needed someone to talk to her after what had happened to her back in college.

"Yeah he has," Matt agreed, "We just got off on the wrong foot back in L.A."

They started back up the trail, this time at a comfortable walk.

"Houston, I'll go easy with you on the training," she promised.

He put his arm casually around her as they climbed up a steep incline.

* * *

She tossed him over her shoulder and rolled over to scramble on top of him. Suddenly he grabbed her to pull her closer.

"Houston…you're not doing this very well."

He sighed.

"You threw me off of you and then you pinned me," he said, "That's pretty serious considering we're not dating."

She pulled away from him and sat on the grass, slightly out of breath from the exercise. He had played a vigorous opponent to help her develop more confidence in her abilities to call upon and utilize the skills he had taught her. Now she wouldn't necessarily want to go looking for fights but she could take care of herself is someone attacked her.

Enough to at least get away.

But while teaching her these necessary skills, Matt couldn't get his mind off of Grant and how much he wanted to beat him into a pulp for what he had done to the women unfortunate enough to cross paths with him. Mallory Claire's body had been flown out of L.A. by some family and buried finally after having been mapped out as a crime scene and every inch of her lifeless form pored for evidence that might catch her killer. Police officers knew in these types of killings, there were three types of crime scenes which included the scene of abduction, the murder location and the place where the body was found.

In Mallory's case they had the first and the third, but no information on the most critical location where incriminating evidence would be left and that would be the place she had been murdered. Matt knew until they found where she had met her fatal end, they might never be able to prove that Grant killed her absent a confession.

Because Matt knew that he had done it. Just like he had been responsible for the disappearances and likely deaths of other women including those last seen with him because the guy was clearly a remorseless sociopath.

C.J. looked at him from where she still sat on the grass.

"You tired yet?"

He moved closer to her.

"I think I'd like to go and get something to eat and then maybe rest a bit."

She sighed.

"Okay that's it Houston," she said, "It's naptime for you for the next couple of hours on account that you didn't get any sleep last night."

"More than happy to take that nap if you'll join me…"

She sighed again.

"Houston, we're not going to go there okay?"

He played ignorant with her.

"Go where?"

She stood up and brushed the grass of her sweats.

"We're not having sex."

He then threw her a bemused look.

"Who said anything about getting physical here," he said, "I was talking about a nap."

She shook her head at him.

"Yeah right…"

She knew he had been pulling her leg but she wanted to toss it back in his face just a little bit and that meant bringing up something the two of them would just never do. No never, they were best friends after all.

"I meant it C.J.," he said, "If you join me, I'll look but I won't touch."

She just walked away from him back into the cabin.

* * *

After lunch, Matt had stretched out on the couch and had done just what he promised which had been to take a nap. He drifted off quickly enough because she had just plumb worn him out. She went and got the comforter and put it over his sleeping form before grabbing her novel and heading off to the lake to spend some quiet time.

She traveled down the path and hummed a song to herself. The birds twittered in the trees and the air filled with the heady scent of nectar from a patch of wildflowers that sprung up in the spaces between the glens of trees. She so loved the scenery in the mountains and took her time getting down to the lake.

Suddenly a branch crackled behind her and she stopped in her tracks. She sensed something or someone behind her but when she turned around suddenly, only an empty forest met her. She realized she had been holding her breath and relaxed it.

She listened for a moment longer and headed towards the lake.

* * *

Behind a nearby tree, a man stood there watching the woman disappear behind a bend and slowly, carefully choosing every step lest he give himself away, followed behind her.

* * *

"Hey catch any fish," she said, seeing Vince.

He shook his head.

"Not a bite," he said, "I think the fish know bad weather's coming."

C.J. had looked at the sky and noticed only a few wisps of clouds but she knew how quickly the weather could turn in the mountains, how fast the storms could blow through from the desert. She sat down beside him on the grassy bank and watched him cast his line again.

"Did you hear anything on Grant," she asked.

He shook his head.

"He's still underground," Vince said, "Maybe he's got someone helping him."

"He did attract friends though not for very long."

Vince looked over at her.

"How are you doing?"

She stretched out her legs, enjoying the sun which still shone brightly.

"Great…Houston's taking a nap from not sleeping last night," she said, "He's been teaching me defensive skills."

Vince nodded.

"That can be very useful."

She looked down at her hands.

"I just know I don't want to ever feel like I did when Grant attacked me."

He remained silent a moment, then recast his line.

"Despite our differences, I think he's not a bad guy, just pushy."

She smiled at that.

"He's very determined once he gets his mind set to do something."

Vince chuckled.

"I noticed…but so am I," he said, "That might be why we clash."

She furrowed her brow.

"I think he does respect you and your work," she said, "Especially on Mallory's case."

He sighed.

"I don't know how long it's going to take to nail her killer," he said, "even if it is Grant."

She looked out at the lake, the water smooth as ice.

"I know it's him," she said, "I think maybe Mallory knew something about him that he didn't want anyone else to know and he killed her for it."

"Maybe…they did know each other in the past and when women are murdered, it's usually by someone they know, a lover, a friend or acquaintance."

C.J. thought about that.

"I wonder sometimes if it's harder to trust the people you know than the ones you don't."

He glanced over at her.

"Sometimes you just have to be careful getting to know some people," he said, "especially the ones who appear to be too good to be true. It's true that some of the most abusive men began by looking like prince charming."

She looked over at him.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were cynical," she said, "but you're right. Julia thought that Grant was the nicest guy, he swept her off her feet at first and then he started getting more controlling of where she went, who she saw, who she was seen with…"

Vince nodded, thinking that sounded familiar.

"And then the first time he hit her, at least the first time she told me about, it was because Houston had been visiting from Rice University when his team played Stanford and he flew back later so he could spend time with us…He's a nice guy who really likes women and all he said was how pretty she looked…"

C.J. swallowed her emotion.

"She told me she just fell on a table," she said, "I guess in the same way I did."

Vince pursed his lips, in thought listening to her account.

"But you saw through that," he said, "It's not uncommon for the closest friends to see what a woman in love might miss."

"Well eventually she figured it out when he broke her arm," C.J. said, "and we did get a restraining order…the good it did."

"Often they escalate the situation without intending to," Vince said, "and he came after the both of you."

She rubbed her forehead, near the scar he had given her. The one most visible anyway.

"It took awhile to get over what he did…tried to do," she said, "and after they decided not to file charges against Julia or me, neither of us went out much and Houston came out not long after that and I never told him…I wanted to a couple of times but the words, they didn't come out…I just didn't want to worry him."

"He knows now."

She nodded.

"Yeah he does and he wants to kill Grant," she said, "Now don't worry, I don't think he'll go looking for him but if Grant makes his way here."

"If he does…we can bring some police in to keep an eye out for him."

"I don't know if he will except he had been contacting me."

Vince sighed.

"He's probably hiding out somewhere," he said, "Probably outside of L.A. but it could be anywhere considering the money and the reach the guy has attained."

She felt a thread of fear fill her and tried to keep it at bay. But the back of her neck prickled and she turned her head to look behind her and again, saw nothing there.

* * *

He stood still in the bushes, watching her sitting with the fisherman. Looking the same as she had been back in college, only her hair had been cut shorter and looked wavier. She sat there only about 10 yards away from him, completely unaware of his presence, which was just the way he wanted it until the time when it came to enact his plan.

And neither her or her boyfriend Matt would see it coming.


	28. Chapter 28

Another installment up, hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

C.J. had looked every morning in the mirror to see if they had faded. She imagined that's what Julia had often done in the mornings after being beaten up again by Grant, even as he courted her anew with candy and flowers, presents encased in wrapping too exquisite to tear open and tied up in ribbon.

At least Grant hadn't sent her any flowers or gifts.

Just empty phone messages each time he called to see if anyone was home and those mysterious notes she had received before the night she walked into her apartment and saw him there. Thanks to the actions of her friend, he had been stopped before he could really damage her and she had only been left with sore muscles, some bruises and a stitched up cut on her head. It had been an angry red after being sewn up in the emergency room, and then faded to a pink which softened with each passing day. The bruises themselves had been splotches of purple so dark they looked black, and then they faded into softer shades of violet before that faded too.

This morning, she had seen the first hint of yellow, in the mottled mixture of color and she knew that within a week, they'd be gone.

Julia had worn out her honeymoon period between some beatings so quickly that she received her next round of bruising before the previous ones had faded from the landscape of her body. But C.J. had only been assaulted that one time and had fought back but in the areas that hadn't been bruised; she still felt his slimy touch. She wondered how long it would be before those sensations faded too.

"C.J. I'm back with the groceries," Julia said, "Give me a hand."

She ran a brush through her hair, gingerly around where the stitches had only recently been removed but the skin still proved tender.

"I'm coming," she said, "Connie's coming over to study for that physics test. I don't even know I'm in physics."

"Science requirement," Julia said, "Besides the teacher's a fox."

C.J. smiled.

"That's not why I signed up for the class."

Julia had studied her close friend who had been hitting the books a lot lately. Oh she had always been the most serious of students even back in junior high but in recent weeks, it seemed like C.J. was either in class, working at the nearby diner or hitting the books. She had spent the first two weeks after Grant's attack away from the apartment and it had taken Julia some persuasion to get her to study there, telling her that she would be safer there than walking home late at night from the library. C.J. had relented one night after she had been walking down the bike path from the library to the residential street where they lived and had sensed someone closely behind her. She'd turn around and see nothing but shadows but the hairs on the back of her neck; well she knew what couldn't be seen.

Grant had left the hospital after recovering from his injuries but hadn't been seen since. He hadn't been to class or at any of his usual haunts. He hadn't been standing in front of their apartment again either.

She went out and helped Julia carry the groceries inside the house and they walked in the kitchen to put them away.

"Matt called you know…"

C.J. looked up from where she was stacking the cans of chilies.

"He wanted to come by this weekend because they're playing Stanford again but I said I'd be studying all weekend anyway and I wouldn't see him."

Julia shook her head.

"Why are you hiding what that creep did to you from him?"

C.J. sighed.

"You know why," she said, "You know what he'll do and I don't want him to get in trouble."

Julia took an apple out of the bag of them.

"You don't know that," she said, "He might ding him a little."

But they both knew that if Matt went after Grant for what he'd done, it would be in a big way and the last thing C.J. wanted was for Matt to get arrested on assault charges.

"Okay more than a little but he cares about you," Julia said, "and I think you need to tell him."

C.J. shook her head.

"No…he's better off not knowing," she said, "I mean look what happened to you when you tried to stop him…"

Julia walked over to C.J. and put her arm around her, knowing that her friend still felt guilt over not being able to fight against Grant, essentially forcing Julia into a difficult position of protecting her. But she had feelings of guilt of her own for not seeing the red flags that had been going up during her entire relationship with Grant and for accepting his beatings as aberrations, rather than coming from a violent man. But she knew C.J. would be right about Matt, if he had found out what Grant had done to her and had been able to track him down.

"C.J. can you at least call and tell him you're okay," Julia said, "I think he's really worried about you."

"He doesn't need to be," C.J. said, "I'm doing just fine…"

* * *

Looking back at that conversation and similar ones, C.J. had the perspective of experience and maturity to know how wrong that assessment had been. She hadn't been doing well at all; she just focused on her studies for a long time to keep her mind away from what had happened. It had become clear just in the past several days how little she had dealt with the situation in terms of confronting what she had experience and how it had left her. She knew and had known that not all men were like Grant but she lost her faith in her ability to read them accurately, to be able to catch any sign no matter how small or subtle that a man she dated had the capability of exploding with his fists at any time or of trying to hurt her in other ways.

It had actually been spending time with Matt during the following summer while they worked on their ranches that had helped her move on, as much as could be done without ever really dealing with it. But enough so that she could survive mostly intact, and to in many ways put it behind her.

But not in all ways because Grant had returned and seemed intent on coming at her at some point on his timetable and not hers. She thought about that while she had walked back to the cabin after talking with Vince and had seen that Matt still remained asleep. She had made herself a sandwich and had picked up her novel that she hoped to finish someday and started reading it.

"What time is it," she heard him say finally.

She looked up from her book at him.

"You're awake…I thought you'd sleep through until morning…"

He lifted up the comforter, which she must have placed over him when he drifted off.

"You've been busy?"

She shrugged.

"Took a walk, talked to Vince, had a sandwich and read this book," she said, "A pretty nice and ordinary day."

"You sure you don't need to take a nap yourself," he said, "There's plenty of room on the couch."

She sighed, knowing he was just playing with her again as he often did since they'd arrived there.

"Houston, I'm just fine," she said, "In fact, I feel invigorated but then the mountain air just does that to you."

He couldn't disagree with its effect on the vision in front of him. Damn she didn't seem aware of how beautiful she looked but he definitely noticed. He looked at his watch.

"It's getting towards dinnertime and I still owe you that meal," he said, "Tell you what, we'll both get ready, dress up a little bit and head into that new place in town."

She considered that and then nodded.

"I'm not sure about the dressing up part," she said, "I kind of like casual."

"Okay…casual…in fact you look great right now," he said, "Maybe we should stay at home and discuss that for a while."

She laughed.

"You never quit but I know you're not serious," she said, "You're just trying to appeal to my more merciful side and it won't work."

He professed innocence.

"Hey, now that I'm getting stronger again and testing out some of my parts, I'd just like to see if some of the others work too."

She felt like throwing something at him.

"Houston, does that line every really work?"

"It's not a line," he said, "I'm serious about this."

But that glimmer in his eyes said differently. She just got up and looked at him, arms folded.

"I'm heading into the shower…alone and I'll meet you at the front door to go into town for that dinner you owe me."

"Deal…"

* * *

She left him still lying on the couch as she went to take a shower after picking out some casual slacks, a top and a light jacket to wear if it turned chilly on the way back. She thought about his attitude when he so casually flirted with her, because he had really been laying it thick since they had arrived here. Maybe that had to do with their close proximity and isolation from everyone else.

But she had to just ignore him when he acted like this because it didn't mean anything. After all, he had been like that at least since she had started working with him and they had begun building the company up from scratch to where it had spread its influence and offices around the globe. He had been planning to take a step back and pursue other interests like this investigative firm he planned on starting just to see if it fulfilled him. She already had a feeling that it would do this and in fact, might even take over.

Their friendship had always been tight despite its ups and downs and she always wanted to share that with him. She didn't want to jeopardize it with some casual interlude that would ultimately foster division between them that neither needed. So yes, saying no to his flirtatious behavior was the rule she had set herself to follow and for the most part, he operated under the same principle. Because there was nothing serious behind his actions and words, except perhaps to get under her skin for insisting on coming with him to the cabin for his recovery.

Still a part of her wondered, just a small part, what it would be like if they weren't just such close friends. Who wouldn't after all be tempted up alone in a cabin with a guy like him to take things further? Sometimes…well she wanted to do more than kiss him like a friend would, or discover his body in different ways but…well why mess up her most important relationship? That usually had been enough to keep any temptation to cross those boundaries in check.

She got dressed after getting out of the shower and towel drying her hair. Her outfit molded to her figure and with subtle makeup and keeping her hair simple, she was ready to go with her best friend out on the town, while wondering what it would be like to wear her hair down a little with him.

She bumped into him while he was on his way to the shower and his hands grabbed her suddenly.

"Sorry about that," he said, "I'll be out in a minute and dressed before you know it."

Oh that just made her…she put on her sweetest smile for him.

"That'll be a shame won't it?"

She walked away from him, leaving him in her wake. Turn about was fair play and a girl had to have a little fun. She headed to the living room and sank on the couch.

Not noticing the face of a man looking in the window watching her.


	29. Chapter 29

Finished another update to this FF, hope you enjoy it and thanks for the feedback!

* * *

The two of them had eaten together including at restaurants more time than either of them could count. Whether it was casual Texan barbecue or a five-course sit down meal, they had always enjoyed themselves. Tonight they had opted for casual dress and headed out towards a restaurant that served up fried trout as its main specialty.

They drove into town which appeared pretty active this time in the evening and parked near the restaurant. They left the car and walked inside where a pleasant waiter quickly seated them.

"Want to order some wine," he asked.

She smiled, appearing to think about it.

"I'll take some beer instead."

"I heard they caught some mean trout lately," Matt said, "I wonder if it tastes as good."

"I guess we'll find out," she said, looking at the menu.

Matt watched her gaze at the different selections across from him looking rather fetching in her knit top and jeans. Her hair had hung naturally and curled just above her shoulders. When she had first come back into his life on that job interview, he had nearly been knocked out of his chair. She had always been as pretty as she had been spirited but she had grown into her beauty by the time she had graduated from law school. He hadn't noticed the scar on her face back then that he saw now but she had it back then.

"I'll take the fried rainbow trout, with garlic potatoes," C.J. said to the waiter.

"I'll have the same…"

She looked over at him.

"Wise choice, I can definitely see I'm with a man of obvious intellect."

He smiled at her.

"Who can also show a woman a good time."

She tilted her face, betraying a trace of a smile.

"I'm not a hard woman to please Houston."

"I can see that," he said, "one of the reasons why you're my favorite date."

She looked at him wryly.

"I'm your only date…at least right now."

"True…but this is a great spot and the food's great…"

She just shook her head at him and sipped her beer when it arrived. The last week or more must have been difficult for him not being able to invite one of the women off of his social listing to spend time out at the cabin with him. But whenever she had brought it up, he had insisted that he had no interest in doing that. His life in L.A. was to stay there at least until he returned after his vacation here.

As far as her own life, she had needed to take a break from it but it had followed her here anyway, with the untimely murder of Mallory.

"Houston, you'll be ready to head back soon won't you?"

The waitress delivered their food just then and they both agreed it looked delicious so her question hung in the air between them for a while but Matt must have heard it clearly because he returned to it quickly enough.

"Maybe next week it will be time to head on back…"

She nodded.

"I've got tons of work on my desk that Murray's dropped on it," she said, "He left a message on my voicemail this morning."

"You need to tell him to back off with it," Matt said, "Or I could do it."

She shook her head, enjoying her fish.

"I can handle him," she said, "And it's what I get paid to do."

He chewed his food thoughtfully.

"We've spent several years building this company into a conglomerate but I'm ready to expand my investigation firm."

She thought about that. They hadn't really done much in the way of investigations so far but before he had gotten injured, they had handled a couple of case for close friends and had both found the work enjoyable and very rewarding.

"You really think you're ready for that?"

He looked at her thoughtfully and nodded.

"Being laid up with this injury gave me plenty of time to think C.J.," he said, "I might not have been able to find Will but I can use my skills to help other people who feel that they have nowhere else to turn."

She nodded at that, knowing that he would be more than capable putting his military intelligence experience and training into use in that area if he chose to do that. The cases that they had handled when they had spare time from conducting business deals had whetted both of their appetites for pursuing this new venture further. And when they faced danger, they looked out for each other, watched each other's back carefully not that she needed any persuasion because he had an awfully nice one.

"Well when the business gets light…we can fit cases in between traveling to close deals or to buy newer companies to add to the empire…"

He sighed and put down his fork for a moment, the fish however delicious would have to wait.

"I might be cutting back on my time as CEO," he said, "Murray's doing well as the vice-president and I'm thinking about promoting him and stepping down for a while."

Silence greeted him from across the table.

"C.J…"

"I'm still here Houston…just a little bit surprised."

"Yeah me too…"

She smiled at him as a form of encouragement even as her mind tried to grab what he had just said. They had worked side by side most of the time since she had started working for his company working her way up through the ranks.

"I mean I think it's a great idea but don't you think you should get your feet wet first?"

Stupid advice really, she should know better than to recommend that he exercise restraint on any part of his life. That would be like telling him to cut back on his social life, the women he dated and slept with and that had been an area of his life she would never touch.

There were some parts of their life they kept private after all. Not that there had been much to keep under wraps in her own life lately. It had been a while since she had broken up with her last boyfriend and sometimes it seemed like even longer.

"C.J…I have been getting my feet wet," he said, "I think I'm ready to take on more cases…or I will be when we get back…"

"Okay then…I guess if we start off with one or two…"

He just watched her try to convince him to tread lightly with this new venture knowing that it was just her protective nature kicking in; the one he had seen so much of in the past couple of weeks. Not that he minded it, in fact he quiet enjoyed it.

"C.J. I've got about a half dozen cases sitting on my desk waiting to be inventoried."

She looked at him her eyes widening a bit.

"Oh…that's great…"

He winked at her.

"Of course I'm going to need some help handling them all," he said, "and I think a couple of them require a woman's touch."

"Oh really…how's that?"

He sipped some beer.

"Undercover work…mainly…there's some thefts at a hotel…and I'm thinking that if you went undercover as a maid…"

"I believe the proper term is cleaning lady…"

"Well okay, cleaning lady…but this is not your ordinary brand of hotel."

She tilted her face.

"Don't tell me…"

"You'd have to wear one of those what do you call it…French…"

She waved a finger at him.

"No ways…don't even suggest that or go there. I did not work my ass at Harvard and waiting tables at night dressed up like some pirate's bait."

He smiled at her, enjoying seeing the flush light up her face. He knew that despite her protests, she hadn't minded her job all that much.

He looked affronted.

"C.J. now you know I would never push you to do anything that made you uncomfortable…"

Thought the thought of her dressing up in one of those French maid's outfits did hold a certain appeal because her figure…well it would flatter such attire very well. Then he chastised himself for having such thoughts about his best friend who looked at him as if he had sprouted horns and a tail.

"Houston…I know you mean well but you'll never see me dressed up like that."

His brow arched.

"Never say never…," he responded.

And before she could even think of how to respond, he focused on his trout again and she just shook her head at him. He loved to tease her to make her blush and here he was at it again, creating something out of absolutely nothing. Leaving her to put him in his place again, which sorely tempted her as it always did but instead she just smiled at him.

"Never."

He just looked at her strangely while finishing his trout as she sat there and enjoyed hers. Whoever cooked it had been a genius because it tasted better than just about any fish that had ever been fried. She didn't want to look at him because she knew that he still imagined her wearing that ridiculous getup that she had sworn she never wore in her life.

"Houston…if you're so into French costumes, you could have Murray email the names off of your Rolodex."

He sighed.

"I don't have a…"

She folded her arms at him.

"Of course you do Houston," she said, "We've been through this before and remember when I grabbed the one on your desk believing it held your business contacts?"

He closed his eyes momentarily.

"Ah, I can see that you do," she said, "Call up any one of those women and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to drop everything and get one of those costumes on and come right on over."

"That's not how it works…"

"Okay then you can charter them a helicopter…"

He just looked at her knowing that she was having fun with him like he had with her.

"C.J. I am not going to do any such thing," he said, "I'm here with the woman that I want to be with and I'm having fun with her."

She smiled at that, relenting slightly.

"It has been fun hasn't it?"

He nodded.

"I don't miss the office at all, I'll tell you that," he said, "I'm beginning to think I wasn't cut out for the business life."

She looked at him more closely.

"Houston…I thought this is what you wanted to do," she said, "Though I know a lot of it did have to do with your father."

He sighed.

"Yeah…I think it did, wanting to show him that I could make it on my own in his world," he said, "without any of his help or money."

His tone of voice betrayed the importance behind those words. She had been by his side in the earliest years when he had worked day and many nights as well building his empire which would some day be the legacy he would leave behind. But would it be the only one? She knew that a lot of what drove him had been the desire to help people in trouble. She shared that too, and her experiences with Julia and Grant had only deepened her resolve to do that. She never wanted anyone to feel as helpless as she had when Grant had attacked her that night.

"And you did all that…but now you have to decide is it really enough?"

Looking at his eyes as he searched for the words to respond to her question, she could read his answer.

* * *

They walked through the main street of the town hand in hand, some of the shops were still open and other couples mingled in the business district. They figured this was a popular hangout for couples this time of the evening. Not that this word defined them, oh no but as Matt felt his fingers interlace with hers and he saw the calm expression shown on her face as they stopped to look inside the windows of several businesses, his thoughts wandered into places previously forbidden.

Maybe that wasn't the right word to use but they had never really taken any feelings they might harbor that far, some roads would never be traveled though he had often wondered what it would be like between them. He was a guy after all and she a lovely woman but it was more than that.

They saw a cluster of people sitting in the small park some distance away from a bandshell where it looked that a small band had set up to perform a concert. She pointed it out and smiled at him.

"Let's go check it out…"

He nodded and they walked over to where they saw Vince and his wife, Mama and some kids on a blanket fussing over some fixings. The two of them walked over to say hi and Mama smiled brightly at them and invited them to sit next to them.

"What's playing," Matt asked.

"Folk music," Vince said, "The wife likes it. I'm more of a 60s rock man myself."

That surprised Matt because he had seen Vince as having more conservative tastes. But then he really didn't know the guy. Mama took out two more glasses and poured the two of them some of the wine they had brought with them and they all sat back and enjoyed the concert. Matt glanced over at the woman who sat beside him, the way her hair rested on her shoulders though she focused mainly on the music and his heart skipped a beat.


	30. Chapter 30

Another installment is up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt and C.J. enjoyed sitting back and enjoying the free concert at the park sitting with Vince, Mama and their family while the matriarch plied them with all kinds of tasty foods fretting that both of them were looking a bit thin.

C.J. knew that she had been getting fit from that defensive training she had done with Matt the past week not to mention running with him in the morning to the bottom of the ravine and back. She worked up quite a sweat and they had been eating more home cooked food than either of them had enjoyed back in L.A. In fact, they were lucky enough not to rely on either take out, delivery or instant dishes, what with their busy lifestyles, which included a lot of eating on the run.

Mama scolded her a few times when C.J. told her about some of the places they had eaten out at and gave her the address of her Italian style restaurant that she had operated as long as she had lived with Vince in L.A. Every dish was made from scratch from the best ingredients and prepared under the best conditions, using recipes that had been passed down from one generation to the next in her family including when they had been living back in the old country. C.J. loved to listen to her talk about working at the restaurant and living with her son and his wife and kids. Vince's wife seemed gracious when she spoke of her mother in law and the kids were adorable, boisterous but well behaved, and with legs that Mama had said were hollow. Her grandsons ate everything on their plates and then returned to the kitchen for seconds, she said proudly.

C.J. wondered what it would have been like to have grown up in a lively family like Mama and Vince had enjoyed. She hadn't had much of a family at all just parents that had both passed before she had been out of grade school, leaving her with a guardian two ranches down from Matt's. While she had been struggling to adjust to living there and working very hard, she had spent a lot of her free time with Matt, his father and the ranch hands. She had gotten to know Bill's brother Roy and Will before both Matt and his cousin had gone into the military.

Roy and his wife Flo had struggled after Will had been killed in action, a decision finally reached by the military after he had been missing for so long. And somehow Matt's father and Roy…well they had become estranged over something but neither she nor Matt really understood their falling out.

She looked over at where Matt sat chatting with Vince in between and sometimes during the concert numbers and wondered if he missed this kind of family dynamic too being an only child and being separated from his tycoon father in more ways than one. Bill had after all come to her for help to keep an eye on his son, knowing that Matt wouldn't want him to do it or to tell him how to live his life or heal from his injuries suffered on a mission, really a shot in the dark that Bill hadn't approved of anyway.

Mama ladled out what looked like some creamy dessert and brought some dishes of it to C.J. and Matt.

"This will help you put some meat on your bones," she said, "You're very pretty but you need to eat more…and it will help…things between the two of you."

C.J. looked at her puzzled.

"What do you mean," she said, "We're just friends, that's all…like I said, we've been friends for others."

Mama waved her arm.

"Oh that…well you two are such a lovely couple and he likes you…you like him…a little of that what do you call it, chemicals…"

C.J. smiled.

"Chemistry you mean."

Mama nodded.

"Ah yes," she said, "I'll give you some of the wine…and some specially prepared food to take back with you…"

C.J. looked at her a bit dubiously.

"What do you mean special food?"

Mama shot her a mischievous look.

"Oh…something to stir the blood…liven things up between the two of you…even nature needs a little help every once in a while."

"Rosa…"

"Call me Mama…"

"Mama…okay he and I are just not like that," C.J. said, "He's got lots of women in his life."

Mama looked a little confused.

"Really…why they not here with him," she asked, "but he's here with you and that's where he wants to be."

"Actually Mama, his daddy put me up to coming with him here," C.J. admitted, "Houston didn't even want me to be here with him…at first."

Mama looked at her carefully then reached out to pat her hand.

"It's going to be okay," he said, "after I get done, he'll see the error of his ways."

C.J. didn't know how to head this woman off at the pass because she appeared determined to engage in some matchmaking between her and her best friend. But it was a lost cause, because Matt clearly had tastes in women that didn't include her. Oh he flirted of course but mostly to get underneath her skin…to catch her off balance when he needed some tactical advantage or edge…usually when they were in disagreement on an issue.

She looked over at him and Vince, clearly the ice had broken between them and they hadn't argued about anything all evening and maybe they would make it without engaging in a battle of wills. They were sipping on their beers and although they looked like they'd rather be watching a sporting event, so maybe they did have some common ground.

"I don't know if this Sullivan guy is ever going to surface," Vince said, "Nothing came back from Interpol or anyone outside the country either."

Matt took another sip of the delectable beer.

"He's got to have plenty of cash…which he does now," he said, "but this guy's always been good about getting himself out of trouble and making himself look like the victim…look what he did to C.J."

Vince sighed.

"Yeah well, at least Julia was able to stop him," he said, "and no jury would have convicted her at trial if it had gone that far."

"If I had been there…"

"You'd have ended up with assault charges filed against you or worse is my guess," he said, "Listen I know you care a lot for her but you wouldn't have done much good locked up in jail on murder charges."

Matt didn't argue with that because if he had known what Grant had done, he would have gone after him to make sure he paid and if the system didn't exact justice in that case then maybe he would pursue his own brand of it. But Vince was right because he would have wound up in jail when C.J. would have needed him out of it because she had been traumatized by what happened to be sure. He wondered if that had entirely gone away through time.

"She can handle a lot…she's tough and she's determined but at the same time she's not letting this guy ruin her life," Vince said, "and we're going to get him way before he turns up any place here."

"I hope so Vince or this time I will go after him," Matt said, "He's not going to have any chance to get close to her this time."

Vince sighed, knowing Matt meant what he said and there was no way to change his mind, he just hoped the police would get to Grant first.

* * *

C.J. got up to go look at the music selections for sale near the edge of the park by vendors who had set up small booths. Mama had said that when she returned, she had this lovely bisquette to share with you. C.J. just shook her head as she left them to walk through the crowds of people sitting or standing on the grass towards the back. A group of people congregated near the booth and she had gotten close enough to look at the display of CDs on the table. She purchased one and then turned to head back, when someone jostled her.

"Excuse me…"

The man wore a coat and hid his face beneath a hat which she thought odd because it was a warm evening and everyone else dressed casually. But something had dropped right in front of her and she picked it up. Her eyes widened as she saw it was a fraternity key ring, one that was from a chapter of one from the same university she had attended. No further identification was on it, and she looked to see where the strangely dressed man had gone but he had vanished.

Then her cell phone vibrated and she saw that she had a text message.

"_We will be together soon…"_

Now she turned her head in every direction to see if she could find this man, the one who had dropped the key ring that bore the same insignia from the fraternity where he had been a member. Apprehension filled her as she realized that the message…the key ring…the man…no wait, it couldn't be him. He was underground somewhere far away if not L.A. than in some other large city where he could easily disappear. Where police would never find him, meaning why would he show up here just to find her?

Because he had killed Mallory and had been tied to the disappearances of other missing women…including Naomi…of course he would return to his violent ways as soon as that part of him was triggered.

She decided to head on back but didn't know what to tell the others. Should she share what happened or just chalk it to irrational fears based on what had been unfolding about Grant the past week? Matt would go ballistic she knew and would search every inch of the damn mountain range to find him and what if there were nothing to find, what if he wasn't near this area?

Matt looked up at her when she returned and so did Mama who when C.J. sat down handed her a chocolate covered bisquette as promised. She ate it gingerly, finding it delicious but her mind still remained on what had just happened. Looking around her to see if any trace of the man remained without having gone into the shadows, didn't help her feel better.

But leave it to Matt to know that something bothered her and he just shot her that look, the one that said that she needed to talk to him about it. So she looked at both Vince and Matt and tried to find the words that would transcend her fear.

"I think he's here…"

Matt didn't look shocked.

"C.J…where…did you see him?"

She shook her head, her hand brushing some hair out of her face.

"There was this guy…by the music booth…he bumped me and then he dropped something…"

She handed over the key ring to Matt who looked it over and his eyes widened.

"This is his fraternity right?"

She nodded, trying to keep control of her nerves.

"Same university…same house…I don't know if he dropped it on purpose or by accident but it has to be him and then I got this text…"

She pulled out her phone to show them. Matt read it and then looked up at her.

"He's probably still here…we've got to go look for him."

Vince looked doubtful.

"He may be…but I think he took off…he's probably been holed up in some cabin or inn around here if it's him at all."

C.J. sighed.

"I know it was…I just know him…and this is just like him," she said, "and I don't want to be scared of him, looking for him behind every shadow."

She rubbed her eyes and Matt put his arm around her, his warmth making her feel more secure.

"I'll call the Sheriffs who handle this area and they'll put out extra patrols but it probably won't be much."

Matt got up and helped C.J. onto her feet.

"I'm going to go find him."

Vince blocked him.

"Oh no you're not," he said, "You're going to let the police handle any search."

Matt shook his head, clearly not liking it.

"The police couldn't put this guy away when he went after Julia and her…or when those women disappeared after crossing paths with him…why should it be any different now?"

C.J. saw that Vince worked on holding onto his patience.

"Because this time we can nail him for Mallory's murder especially after what C.J. told us," he said, "and I'm going to personally make sure that Grant is apprehended and that is case is handled by the book."

Matt appeared just about to protest.

"Listen that will be the only sure way to make anything stick against him this time around."

C.J. turned to Matt.

"Listen to him Houston, okay? I want you here with me not locked up in jail somewhere with me having to spring you loose."

Matt gazed at her, the concern in her hazel eyes that were framed by that scar that Grant had given her and he nodded slowly.

Yes, he would go along with it but he most definitely wasn't going to like it.


	31. Chapter 31

Another installment is up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

The concert ended and the two of them said goodnight to Vince in his family and headed back to the cabin. The road unfolded in front of them, laden in shadow as the wind rustled through the trees on either side of them. Silence had fallen between them after Vince had warned Matt not to interfer with their manhunt for Grant.

But as it turned out it did appear as if he had been lurking around here the entire time. Waiting and watching them, perhaps every move they had made. The thought of that chilled C.J.'s blood, no doubt he had gotten a kick out of stalking them as they went about their vacation unaware of his presence. But now he had played his hand during that runin she had with him at the concert and obviously he had hoped to unnerve her and leave Matt feeling unsure of what to do or even where to look next. But Grant clearly didn't know him and all he had done was to make Matt more determined to find him and make him pay for what had happened those years ago. She glanced sideways at him right now in the car and saw his hand firmly on the steering wheel, his jaw set and his eyes looking straight ahead on the road.

She needed to break that silence

"Houston…Vince is right… I know that you don't want to hear it but if anything every happened to you…"

"Nothing is going to happen," Matt said, "except that a killer will be taken off the streets one way or another," he said, "and sooner rather than later, if I have anything to do with it."

C.J. took a deep breath hearing the firm resolution in his voice, he didn't say words that he didn't mean deeply inside and if he did cross paths with Grant…then she had a feeling Grant was as good as dead this time. Unless…he got the jump on Matt somehow. And she didn't know what scenario filled her with deeper fear.

"Houston he's very dangerous."

She knew that Grant never fought fairly and that if she ambushed Matt at some point, then Matt might not have the chance to protect himself. Matt didn't seem to care about that.

"So am I…"

And there he said it in his definitely not to be messed with voice. That despite what Vince had said, he had plans of his own to find Grant and deal with him, with maybe a little Texas style justice? She didn't know that it would go that far…oh yes of course she did.

And she couldn't say she felt any differently about him. She felt fiercely protected, a deep reservoir existed inside her for the tangle of feelings she had for the man who she had known most of her life.

"I know that you want to go after him…for me and the other women…but the police need to handle him," she said, "Vince is going to coordinate with the sheriff's department to send more patrols."

He sighed.

"That's not going to be enough to find him let alone stop him," he said, "Grant is here, he left a calling card for you tonight and I'll be damned if I will stand around and give him another chance to hurt you."

She softened at the sound of his voice, knowing that his concern had roots in his feelings for her and that she loved him for that.

* * *

They turned off the main road into the short dirt driveway to the cabin and he parked his car. They got out and headed to the front door, and Matt unlocked and opened it. After what happened at the concert, C.J. half expected to see someone jump from the shadows or the place trashed or something but everything looked exactly as they had left it several hours earlier. Matt looked over at her.

"If he's out there somewhere, he's not going to get in here."

She looked around the living room and then collapsed on the couch.

"It's been a long day but mostly a nice one."

He sat down in the chair and looked over at her.

"I know Vince means well…"

"What do you mean Houston," she said, "He's a cop, he knows what he's doing."

He sighed, leaning back.

"But the cops back when you were in college…"

She shook her head.

"They dropped the ball completely and I'm not going to argue with that," she said, "but I trust Vince, I know that he's helped a lot already…made it easier to tell him some things I never told anyone."

Matt nodded, knowing that she had struggled to tell him her experience with Grant because she had believed that it had been a failure on her part that she hadn't been able to stop him from trying to hurt her that night. But she and Julia had followed the correct legal process of documenting his abuse of his girlfriend and had gotten themselves restraining orders when he had gone into stalker mode.

She sighed just remembering it and the helplessness she had felt when he had attacked her and what Julia had to do to save her. But she had learned through counseling at the women's center at the university that those feelings were common but she shouldn't blame herself for his actions. When the inquiry against her and Julia had been dropped by police, the news had already spread all over campus and people had looked at the two women both with curiosity and trepidation, and there had been the inevitable crowd, thankfully small, who had been ardent supporters of Grant. But she had survived the experience and had been able to put it behind her and move forward. In fact, some of her closest friends like Matt hadn't suspected anything had happened at all.

"I'm glad you told me too," he said, "I know that wasn't easy either."

She shrugged at that, thinking she should have told him much sooner but somehow, she just couldn't do it, partly because of how he would have reacted. She knew that what he did might get him into trouble, would certainly jeopardize his position on the football team.

"I'm glad you were here to tell," she said, "I know it's been really tough for you these past few months but it's been nice to spend this time with you."

He smiled at her then and she knew that he had enjoyed that time too. They had never really spent so much time in close quarters before and truth be told, it could have been a disaster given their spirited personalities and tendency to clash at the office, albeit not in a bad way.

"I won't be unhappy to put that time behind me," Matt said, "and get back to my investigative work…"

"I think if you start with a couple of cases…"

"C.J. there's a stack of them waiting on my desk," he said, "You know that and they are all going to be challenging…to varying degrees."

She just sighed then and ran her fingers through her hair, combing it out.

"C.J…"

"What Houston?"

"Did you hear what I said," he said, "We've just gotten started and the caseload is already growing while we are here and Murray's going to be upset about it but I think it's great."

She smiled despite herself, her concerns that maybe he would be taking too much on when his body still would be recovering but seeing the excitement in his eyes again…that was definitely worth it and enough to outweigh most of her misgivings.

"I've got to clear my legal calendar," she said, "And help Connie with her interior decoration of her new place and Maureen's thinking about joining a new law firm, corporate law I think…so we're going to do the celebratory dinner thing."

"You sound like you're settling into L.A. quite well."

She thought about it and then nodded.

"I wasn't sure it would work and these last few months…part of me wanted to go back to Texas…maybe after kidnapping you."

That last part intrigued him.

"Why didn't you…kidnap me?"

She tilted her head.

"Oh come on Houston…you were so glad to leave Texas and come out here. Now I know you're home grown Texan down to your boots but you really wanted this new start…to show your father you could do it."

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"My father wasn't too pleased as I recall," he said, "He wanted to groom me to run the family business…the one he built up from nothing."

"He was just being the proud father Houston," she said, "and he is proud of you and all that you've accomplished…you do know that?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure he understands my need to build something of my own," Matt said, "but then maybe I'll be the same with my own kids someday."

She chuckled just imaging that scenario but yeah, the future definitely held kids, probably plenty of them, given that he like her had been an only child and in the midst of that would be the woman to birth them. You didn't have to look at him very long to figure out that would be some lucky lady.

"What about you?"

She furrowed her brow at him.

"What about what?"

He smiled again, leaning forward interested in her answer.

"What about your kids?"

She tilted her face at him, bemused.

"Not something I have to think about for a while," she said, "but I want them to find their own way to what calls them…like the law with me…something that fires them up and nourishes them at the same time."

He nodded at that and looking at her, he could easily see that future as she had outlined it, with her surrounded by kids and of course somewhere there would be a father in the picture, but he didn't dwell on that too much.

"I might think about reentering the social scene when we get back," she said, "I miss it...Meeting people and going out and having a good time."

But he knew she couldn't think too far past the point that Grant was still running around out there, and maybe looking for her, watching her. And maybe from a closer vantage point than they believed, that was what his gut told him. The thought of Grant showing up and terrorizing her made him sick…enough so that he kept his attention focused on keeping a watch for him.

"Yeah…me too…but I like these quieter times too."

So did she, the times they spent together when she didn't have to be scared about what had happened to him, his injuries, his own fears about whether or not he would be able to go back to work, back to picking up the reins of his investigative firm which no doubt would tick Murray off. And she wanted to be right there with him, working alongside him and having plenty of evenings like this one, was it crazy to feel that way?

He sat up suddenly, an idea springing into his head clearly. She watched him carefully.

"Let's watch a movie," he said, "and if you let me pick it, I'll pay for the popcorn."

She thought about it, knowing he'd head straight for either an action thriller or a western. But as he headed back into the kitchen to start the popcorn and find them a couple of beers, she smiled that it seemed a great day to finish out the evening.

The wind had clearly started blowing again, which she knew because she saw some shadows moving through the windows and felt the faint rustling of branches. Then something else…she heard a louder sound, a crunch which sent her sense on hyper alert. She walked over to the window and then near one of the trees, she thought she saw the outline of a figure in the darkness, dimly shaped by the porch light.

"Houston…"

But judging by the rattling of pots and pans and god knows what else, she knew he was busy in the kitchen so she reached for her purse pulling out her handgun, securing it in her hand.

And then she walked to the front door and opened it to look outside. She stepped out into the wind which swirled debris around her and looked to where she thought she had seen the figure but had it been real, or just a tree casting a strange shadow? She moved closer, her feet crackling twigs on the ground and then turned around to look back at the house, wondering if she should call him.

But when she turned her head back, she didn't see what came swinging before it hit her.


	32. Chapter 32

Another update is up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

Matt walked out into the living room to where he expected to find C.J. kicking back on the couch ready to indulge his passion for western movies filled with horses, old towns and cowboys.

But he found an empty living room instead.

He put the popcorn and beers down and went searching for her around the cabin, even calling her name and couldn't find her. Where had she gone, he wondered, had she gone outside for some reason? Maybe to get a breath of fresh air, he thought noticing the wind blowing through the trees as he looked out the window. She wasn't visible from his vantage point but he decided to go outside and look for her. Grabbing a flashlight in case he needed it, he went out the front door after he had checked the back deck. Damn darkness completely surrounded him except the illumination from the lights on his cabin including the front porch. The wind churned up dirt, leaves and other small debris around his feet.

"C.J…"

No answer in response even when he raised his voice but then the wind made it difficult to amplify his voice. Ahead of him stood a thread of tall trees, mostly conifers and they could be quite thick in between them, but why would she decide suddenly to take a walk, through the forest, or to the lake? He rubbed his chin as he continued looking but as he did, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled in that way that he didn't like but that he understood. Something was very wrong here, something bad had happened to her and that's when Matt remembered that there was a killer out there somewhere named Grant Sullivan who had a violent past with her and who had made contact. He left the woods and went purposely back into his cabin to go find his cell phone and that's when he saw her purse and noticed the gun was missing.

He picked up his phone and called Vince.

* * *

C.J. opened her eyes very slowly, noticing a bright light trying to filter its way through the lids. She tried to rub them with her hands but she couldn't move them, in fact they appeared to be tied behind her. Very tightly enough to make them burn when she tried to force them apart and when she jostled even a little bit, a sharp pain ran through her head and her vision blurred again.

Not good…she just had to lie still a while and if she moved…much more slowly at least until the dizziness and pain left her. She had no idea where she was right now…her last memory she had been outside Matt's cabin…what had she been doing? No wait, she had heard something a strange noise and seen…

The man now standing in front of her which she could see in outline but his voice…

"I see you've woken up from your sleep," he said, "I'm sorry it had to be that way but it was very important that I bring you here."

She furrowed her brow ignoring the pain and her vision sharpened a bit but she knew who she was looking at.

Grant Sullivan.

Her body shivered at the sight of him and she felt fear permeate her deeply, chilling her blood. Oh my god, what had she gotten herself into, and what had he done?

"I followed you home from that nice concert that you attended with your boyfriend," Grant answered for her, "Then when you came out to investigate the noises I made, I found the perfect opportunity…"

"You hit me with something."

He nodded and she started to see more clearly. She was in some kind of room and lying on a couch.

"Not too hard I hope…I didn't want to kill you just knock you out long enough to bring you here."

She tried to sit up but without her hands free…

"Don't even try…I made sure those knots were quite tight… you see I need your cooperation for what I have planned for the last evening of your life…"

She gasped, not able to stop it.

"What do you mean?"

He reached over and stroked her face, which made her skin crawl but she was helpless to stop him.

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time," he said, "I had a few interruptions on the way…like your friend Mallory for example…"

That startled C.J. out of her shock.

"What about her, what did you do to her?"

He sighed pacing the floor agitated she noticed.

"She worked at the firm across the street from where I did and we ran into each other and she…remembered…"

C.J. thought about that, her mind racing through the fog of her injury and the disorientation she still felt. Mallory had been at the house the night that…she had spent there with Connie and other sisters after what he had done to her at the apartment. Or what he had been about to do before Julia came in and attacked him in defense.

"I couldn't let her go to the police so I arranged a meeting with her and well…as you can see she won't be telling anyone anything."

Oh but she had, C.J. thought or her body had done so from evidence left behind by her killer. Grant must have acted too impulsively and been sloppy but in his twisted mind, he had still succeeded in eliminating a threat to him.

"Where are we?"

Grant smiled and shook his head clearly onto her.

"That's for me to know and you not to find out," he said, "Though it's quite nice don't you think and very discreet. We can do whatever we want here and no one will care and only one of us will be walking out of her."

She sighed, trying not to let the fear overwhelm her. He was just psyching her out after all, trying to turn her into his compliant victim and that just wasn't going to happen…not again. She hadn't the tools to fight back years ago but she did now, thanks to…oh god, Matt had been in the cabin in the kitchen…was he out looking for her right now?

How would he find her when she had no idea where she had been taken? She didn't even know if he had dragged her some distance or carried her to a car. Or how long she had even been out because she couldn't look at her watch and the room…it looked almost like a motel room which meant they could be anywhere.

"It's really nice here…I only pick the best, a bit rustic but it will suit us both nicely…living area…"

He gestured around the room.

"Kitchenette, a nice deck and the most important part, the bedroom over there.."

She just stared at him, surely he wasn't serious..

"I'm not going to…"

He smiled at her, in a way that indicated all wasn't clear in his head.

"Oh yes you will…I even brought you a much better outfit than the one you're wearing…which isn't all that attractive."

Of course not, she thought, she had just been going out casually with her best friend and why was she…no she had to focus on finding a way to free herself so she could just kick his ass and get out of here…she did…no wait what happened to her gun…it had been in her hand.

"You see, I loved Julia…really I did…I didn't mean to hurt her but I needed her to be perfect for me, to do what I said to understand that I know what's best…you see women really don't understand how evil the world can be like I do…"

C.J. just looked at him, seriously he couldn't be saying that when he was a walking personification of what was wrong with the world. Too many psychopaths wandering around out there harming people and getting away with it, eluding capture and now she knew why Matt had wanted so much to be an investigator that he was willing to walk away from his multi-million dollar business empire at some point. Just to help people and to keep the demons of the world at bay including some of his own.

"You beat Julia up and then when you came looking for her, you hit me too and then tried to rape me."

He scoffed at her.

"What are you saying," he said, "I did no such thing…you are no more understanding of the realities of the world than she…the woman who attacked me viciously and nearly cost me my life."

Her teeth gritted.

"It was self defense and you know it…I'm so glad she was there and I wish she did kill you…only but for what it would have done to her."

Killing people even righteously exacted a toll from those who did it. Vince had told her that cops had retired after pulling the trigger on someone, unable to deal with the stress and what it had nearly done to Matt in the military…god…but the time he couldn't pull the trigger to try and stop enemy guerrillas from taking Will away forever had been the experience that had nearly broken him. Which was why he had jumped so quickly at the chance to make that all right and her heart had broken with his when it had come to naught.

"He won't find you here,." Grant said, "and all he's interested in is defiling you like any man."

C.J. looked up at him.

"You're frigging crazy," she said, "He's out there looking for you right now."

Grant shrugged.

"Maybe…but he'll never find me and he'll never find you because I'm done, I'm going to bury what's left of you out there in the woods and it's thousands of acres of wilderness filled with bodies of water, boggy marshes and old mine shafts. The graveyard of many of the greats who cleaned this world of its filth and grime…"

She sighed, knowing that he clearly was out of his head and she had to do whatever she needed to do to get away from him before he carried out his threat because she had no intention of being murdered and dumped into some unmarked grave. Not when her life was out there waiting to be lived.

He paced back and forth and she never took her eyes off of him but her mind turned inward to make a plan of action.

* * *

Matt hadn't even known why he called Vince because at this point in his life, he had little use for the police. They had taken him in when he had just been trying to do what his clients needed him to do and years ago, police had so miserably failed C.J. and Julia when they really needed them to stop the man who stalked them.

But he didn't have a choice because now, he had known that somehow Grant had come to the cabin and kidnapped her, taking her off to some unknown but probably very private location and he knew from his experience that once a killer did that to a victim, their probability of survival dropped to nearly zero.

This meant he didn't have the time to go looking for her on his own and needed the help of a trained cop like Vince, one who C.J. had awarded with her trust already. Vince picked up his phone readily enough and when Matt spilled out what happened, he had gone into his cop mode and said he would call for deputies and that he would be at the cabin in several minutes.

And he delivered on his word, his car pulling up in front of the cabin where Matt stood outside waiting for him. Trying to keep himself from running into the woods to search for her because after all the clock was ticking…he knew that Grant had no plans to keep her alive so she could identify him as her assailant and that he had her in his sights for probably longer than he had known.

Vince came over to him, all business.

"So have you found any signs of where she could have been taken," he said, "Because maybe Grant left some clues behind before he left…or maybe she did."

Matt swallowed painfully, at the thought of what must have taken place just outside the cabin where he had been preparing popcorn for their night at the movies on the couch.

"We're going to find her," Vince said, placing his hand on Matt's shoulder, "But we've got to think and work quickly here."

Matt nodded as they headed out to the forest to try and retrace her last steps to the spot where Grant had been waiting to abduct her. Now she would never go willingly not even if he had aimed a weapon at her because she knew her best chance to live would be to not go with him willingly but put up a fight near the cabin. And she had been armed herself and he knew how proficient she was with a gun if he hadn't known sooner. So an ambush of some sort was very likely from behind, probably while she had been outside for some reason perhaps lured outside by him?

They both looked straight ahead and around them and on the ground and finally buried in some leaves about 100 yards away from the cabin just in front of the trees, Matt found a handgun on the ground.

"That's C.J.'s…and look over there…broken twigs…"

Vince stepped backward.

"Okay…we're going to need some deputies to cordon off this area in case…"

Matt closed his eyes at that point…not even wanting to finish Vince's words for him…but in case they didn't find her alive or at all and needed to build a case to bring her killer to justice…god but that was as far as he would go on that path because there was no way in hell that would ever play out. No, he would find Grant before he could carry out his plan and this time Grant wouldn't be walking away from his violence without paying any consequences.

Not if he had anything to do with it, and to hell with the police and the justice system,. If he had his chance to do it, he would rid the earth of one Grant Sullivan because the man had declared war on him by coming after her…the woman who mattered most to him.

While Vince directed the deputies that arrived, Matt went into the cabin and got his gun and made damn sure it was loaded.


	33. Chapter 33

The latest update is up, thanks for reading and for the feedback!

* * *

Matt left the cabin with one aim in mind and that was to go after Grant. Vince read his mind easily enough and followed him to his car.

"You can't do it Houston…"

Matt didn't turn to look at him, so single minded was his focus as he reached his car to get inside of it and tear down the road in some direction to track the killer down who had kidnapped his best friend.

"You need the police," Vince insisted, "We'll go back to the town and stop by the sheriff's. They already have an APB out on both of them and men looking for them in this area."

Matt wondered where Grant would have taken her. He didn't seem like the guy who could control his impulses enough to take her to a location very far away from here. No, it might be some place close by but given how thick the woods were in these parts of the mountains, a cabin or a shed could be hidden just about anywhere and there were caves…that's if she had been taken inside the forest at all. He tried so hard to think but his fear threatened to engulf him. If he couldn't find her in time…no he couldn't think like that, he had to have faith in his own abilities as she did so what to do first…think, think. He had to figure out where a psychopath like Grant would take his victim.

"I'll meet you over there."

Vince nodded and they both got into their own cars heading into town.

* * *

C.J. sat up on the sofa, still dizzy and disoriented but he had untied her. If only to force her to put on the ridiculous dress that he ordered her to wear for him. With her hands free, she had wanted to fight back but she still felt so weak, her legs as if they couldn't support her weight.

The black dress with the spaghetti straps that she knew would hug her figure closely had a familiar look to it.

"I've been saving this for you," he said, holding it in front of her, "It's a nice gown not a harlot's dress."

She just looked at him.

"No I won't wear it."

He clearly didn't expect that answer, for her to show any defiance now that he had her under his control. In response, he grabbed her arm, jerking her on her feet which wouldn't quite bear her weight as she stumbled.

"You will put it on and you will do as I tell you or I'll…"

She stared at him even as he held her.

"You'll kill me? You already told me this was my final night."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade and clicked it open before pressing the side of the blade against her neck.

"You'll be begging for death if you don't what I say"

She felt the coolness of the knife, and when he moved it slightly its sharpened edge but she knew he wouldn't hurt her with it now because he had a script he would follow, one which included her as an unwilling character. He ripped at her blouse and the buttons tore loose, and then pushed her against the sofa throwing the dress at her.

"Now change into it."

Her eyes had closed with the sharpness of the pain in her head when her body hit the couch and she moved slowly, gingerly. She tried not to look at him watching her as she pulled her blouse over her shoulders and closed her eyes again as she slid the dress over her head. After it covered her body, she removed her pants wincing at the pain. Clearly she had been injured but she had to find a way to escape from him while she still had a chance.

"Now stand up."

She shot him a look as she tried to do that despite feeling woozy.

"Much better," he said, nodding at her. "Now turn around…"

She did that, still carefully, eying her surroundings memorizing the details. Where all the furniture was, the kitchen any windows and any potential weapons she could use against him. Not much could be seen given that her vision wasn't all that reliable.

"Where'd you get this dress," she asked.

He smiled at her.

"It was Julia's back before she turned against me…which was your fault," he said, "Everything was great between us, her family liked me, her father wanted me to work for his company when I finished school, we were going to be married…"

C.J. listened to a string of what clearly were delusions. He and Julia might have had some relatively peaceful months but they were never close to getting married or even being seriously committed to each other…because the weakness in his armor had begun to reveal itself earlier enough on even though she hadn't left him.

"Grant…she was afraid of you and she had good reason to be."

She thought he looked angry enough to slap her at that point and braced for it but he just smiled more broadly though his eyes…didn't' hide his rage that well.

"No…she loved me…she told me that…but you…you poisoned her mind against me and ruined everything…"

C.J. felt fear from the way he looked at her but she had to force it back and not succumb to it because she had no intention of being anyone's victim let alone this loser's. Because she wasn't the same woman she had been back in college. No not at all.

"She needed to know the truth and she finally did before you had a chance to kill her."

Grant's face grew angrier then but she forced herself to keep pushing his buttons, to force him from following his regimented script he had written that ended with her death. That might buy her more time as long as she didn't push him too far into a murderous rage. Somehow she just had to strike a delicate balance but she hadn't forgotten a few things she had learned about him.

"I didn't try to kill her…I loved her…She wasn't like the others…"

C.J. sensed he had just added Naomi to Mallory on his list of murders and possibly others.

"She wasn't like you…You never liked me did you," he said, suddenly grabbing her and pulling up her again, "Well it's too late now…because after I'm done with you, you're going to die."

C.J. tried to resist but he pulled her towards a long table that she noticed he had set for two, with china plates and elegant silverware with some food on the table.

"Come have a bite to eat with me."

She shook her head.

"I'm not hungry…"

He probably had drugged it, she decided, and she had enough problems trying to stay on her feet. He forced her to sit at the table, pointing the knife at her throat again.

"I'm not going to eat…"

"But you have to…I made it myself…"

All the more reason not to touch it, she thought, as he sat down close to her and poured wine in both of their glasses.

* * *

Matt raced to town and reached the sheriff's office at about the same time as Vince. They both went inside to where two deputies stood talking to an older man with salt and pepper hair that Matt guessed to be in charge.

He walked up to them and shook their hands.

"I'm Deputy Sheriff Henderson," he said, "You must be Mr. Houston…we're tracking every lead we got of anyone who might have seen anything in relations to Ms Parsons' disappearance but so far not much to go on."

Matt rubbed his forehead.

"We don't have much time," he said, "Grant Sullivan's responsible…he targeted her because of some past grudge."

Henderson nodded.

"I heard about that from the LAPD," he said, "They lost track of this Sullivan character earlier this week. And no one's seen any sign of him."

"He might have bumped into C.J. at the concert earlier," Matt said, "We found a piece of evidence tied with the same fraternity he belonged to back in college."

Henderson jotted something down on his note pad.

"Checking that out too," he said, "but he could have taken here anywhere probably within several hundred miles."

Matt shook his head.

"Actually I don't think he went far," he said, "I don't think he's that patient…I think they're close by."

Henderson sighed.

"How do you know that?"

"Just a hunch…"

"We'll need much more than that if you hope to find her alive."

Matt knew that but there hadn't been much to go on at the scene of the abduction just outside his cabin. The forest covered a huge area but Grant hadn't been much of an outdoors man from what it sounded like so he'd choose a place private enough for what he had planned but close enough to civilization meaning a town.

Meaning possibly even this town.

He turned to Vince and Henderson.

"I really think he's got her around here somewhere," he said, "Not some place obvious but maybe someplace out of the way a bit."

They just both looked at him uncertainly.

"How can you…"

Vince just looked over at the deputy sheriff before he finished speaking.

"He's got pretty good instincts especially about his friends."

Matt didn't want to talk anymore, he was a man of action and he wanted to go find her before it was too late.

"We can talk about that, or we can go find her," he said, "It's your choice, I already made mine."

And he turned around and left the station. Vince turned to Henderson.

"You'd better believe he means business," he said, "He's got a gun and he will kill this guy if it comes to that."

Henderson sighed.

"Why do these desperado types always think they can take the law in their own hand?"

Vince sighed.

"That won't happen if the law does its job so maybe you'd better get a move on it."

Henderson just looked at Vince as he left too.

* * *

C.J. didn't touch her food let alone eat it as it turned out and Grant hadn't been happy about that. She felt her strength return slowly though her head still hurt, she worried that she might have a concussion or worse but there wasn't anything she could do about it now unless she escaped.

She still hadn't figured out who he was going to do that.

"You're very pretty," Grant said, "You're no Julia but you're prettier than the others."

"Julia's safe where you can never find her."

He shrugged at that.

"She'll find out the cost of her transgressions later on," he said, "She betrayed me and if she can't pay the price directly, she will through her closest friend."

C.J. tilted her face.

"Don't count on that."

At that, his demeanor shattered and he got out of his chair and pulled her out of hers by her hair, pushing her on the ground.

"Get up…"

In pain, she just looked up at him.

"You got my dress mussed up," she said, as calmly as she could muster.

That made him pause a moment and then he gave her another chilly smile.

"It won't matter because we'll be moving into the other room soon enough," he said, "I've waited a long time for this night."

She just looked at them, and thought to herself, hell no. She might have been caught off guard and helpless when he had attacked her that night but not anymore. Not after she had learned how to defend herself in a fight and she planned to use her new skills. If the room would stop swaying it might be easier. She just looked at him directly, trying not to hyperventilate.

"Sorry Grant but you're not my type."

He chuckled and pulled out his knife running his finger on the blade.

"This says that I'm exactly what you need."

She eyed the blade carefully wondering how deeply it would cut her if she grabbed it and caught the wrong end of it. Hopefully she wouldn't have to find out but she would do what it took to escape even if it meant…

He yanked her up again and she fought him by dragging her feet but he proved to be too strong. He put the knife and she felt its point against her throat and she knew one wrong movement on her part and…but she had to fight. This time she had to stop him herself. But he still pulled her towards the bedroom and pushed her towards the bed.

"Take off your dress like a good girl."

But she just looked at him instead.

* * *

Matt walked towards his car and Vince went to join him.

"I'm going to find her Vince," Matt said, "Not sit around and talk about all the variables."

Vince nodded.

"I'm with you…but you're going to have to listen to me and not go off like some vigilante."

Matt turned to face him, his eyes deadly.

"I can't promise you that," he said, "What I can promise you is that when I do find him he's a dead man."

"Houston, you could go to prison for that…as sickening as that sounds."

Matt sighed.

"I'm not going to let him hurt her and if I stand here arguing with you about it, I might miss my chance."

A deputy walked out to him.

"Mr. Houston…"

Matt looked towards him.

"What's going on?"

The deputy reached him.

"We might have a lead…a man called who owns a motel out towards the top of the foothills near Mt. Wilbert. A man matching the description of Grant has been staying there paying him a pile of cash but I guess his conscience kicked in at some point."

Matt sighed.

"We'll let's get a move on then," he said, "Go get your men."'

The deputy held up his hand.

"Hold on here…we have a procedure to follow here…"

Matt just stared at him.

"To hell with your procedures," he said, "Vince you coming with me or staying with this bureaucrat here?"

Vince just looked at him and nodded as he and Matt got in Matt's car and left to head towards Mt. Wilbert.

"It's a bit of a ways and the road…"

Matt didn't care what was lying out there to stop him, he was going to find that place and put an end to this once and for all.

Before it was too late.


	34. Chapter 34

Another update, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

"I said take it off," Grant ordered, stepping closer.

She shook her head, staring back at him.

"No…I won't…you want it off, you'll have to do it."

Then she focused on his vantage point, the one he would surely use and she remembered what Matt had drilled into her during their sparring, that for her, lower body strength was the key.

He moved forward to try to push her onto the bed so he could get the advantage and she stepped aside, just the second before his hand would have reached her. And then she grabbed his arm, ignoring the pain the movement jolted in her head and tried to twist it. He spun around too quickly though and they both fell on the bed and then he quickly had her pinned.

"Now I don't need it off," he said, as she felt his hand try to reach underneath it.

"Get off of me," she said, mostly to reinforce her own feeling of strength inside of her. She didn't think he'd listen to her but instead he laughed and forced the knife against her neck.

"You move, and it'll slice through your throat so quickly you won't have time to scream."

She knew that was true, that maybe he had done that to another woman, one who survived one of his beatings that bruised more than one's body. She felt his free hand underneath her dress and she'd had enough. Although she knew it would hurt, she thrust her head up to knock against his and yeah, the pain nearly caused her own eyes to close but it hurt him too.

"You…bitch…"

For that he ripped the straps on one of her dress with his knife.

"You'll wish I'd killed you…"

But she had already started to move again, when she saw blood seeping out of his nose. It hadn't broken but she bet it hurt, maybe enough to seep through his mania. She had to get away from him because even though she knew Matt was out there looking for her, she didn't think he knew where Grant had taken her. She didn't know that either, just that it looked like a motel room in a world filled to the brim with them. A real needle in the haystack, she thought which meant one thing. If she wanted to live, she had to depend on her own resources.

He felt heavy on top of her but she pushed back anyway and struggled beneath him. He moved the knife and grazed her shoulder which stung but she kept on pushing and then she coiled all of her strength into the legs which held more power than her hands and she brought them up, catching him off guard. She wiggled from beneath him and fell on the floor, dizziness threatening to overwhelm her and then somehow she found enough energy fueled by adrenalin to get on her unsteady feet.

Her hands in front of her she rushed out of the bedroom but he chased after her and grabbed her hair pulling her back but she turned around quickly, kicking her leg out to trip him up on the ground, and he fell on the ground. She ran to the door of the motel room and opened it up, running out towards the manager's office, while Grant quickly recovered and chased after her. Without looking behind her, she focused on the main office ahead, if only she could reach it…

Matt went to the roadblock at the bottom of Mt. Wilbert and saw a man standing there looking around.

"So what's going on here," he said, as Vince joined him.

"I came down here and told the deputy that a man who kind of looked like the guy paid me a wad of cash to check him in…said he was a movie actor escaping the paparazzi but I didn't recognize him."

Matt looked up towards the mountain hidden in darkness.

"It's just up that mountain road?"

The man nodded and Matt ran to his car. Vince looked at him and then followed.

"What are you doing Houston?"

Matt didn't even look at him, he got inside his car and Vince had to hurry to join him or he'd be left behind.

"I'm going up to that motel and I'm going to find her…Grant gets in my way, he's a dead man."

"Houston…"

Matt faced him angrily while revving up the engine.

"No, the police had plenty of opportunities to catch this creep and lock him up," Matt said, "and they failed C.J. and Julia and the women that are dead because of him. That's not happening again."

Vince sighed, knowing he couldn't talk him out of it. He had seen very few men more determined than the one sitting next to him. All he could really do was go along for the ride and help him against a psychopathic killer.

They drove up the road, with Matt pushing his car to the limit. The road twisted and turned around the mountain and several times his engine howled in protest but he pushed even harder, because he knew he had very little time to get there to save C.J.

She ran to the office, but found it dark and the door locked, when she tried to yank on it and yell to get someone's attention. That's when she noticed blood streaming down her arm from where it had been cut by Grant's knife. God, she had to find a way to escape him, to get down the road or at least someplace to hide where he wouldn't look.

"There's nowhere to go," she heard him yell from someplace close by.

She saw him running towards her with the knife and she ran into an area hidden by shadow frantically looking for a hiding place. Her breathing came harshly, her body hurt but she had no intention of letting catch up to her and kill her. She wanted to live, to see her friends again including her best friend.

Matt, she couldn't let him find her dead after all he had been through, suffering major injuries in a failed attempt to find his cousin who most likely had been killed in action in all but official language. She wanted to be there when they started their investigative firm working alongside him and helping people in the most difficult times of their lives. She wanted to spend time laughing and relaxing when the work day was done with him and maybe someday…he would look at her and see something else.

His footsteps became louder and she ran into a grove of trees and some brush, struggling to crawl underneath it in the mud and bramble which ripped at her dress and her skin. She ignored the pain and just lay down flat, daring not to breathe lest he find her.

She saw his feet as he walked right past her still looking, his breathing coming as quickly as her had done.

Matt pushed the accelerator and the car threatened to die on him in protest but he wouldn't be deterred from reaching there before…he didn't even want to go there so focused he was on finding her alive. He knew that C.J. had deeply entrenched survival skills and that they would serve her but she had to last against a deeply disturbed murderer who killed without remorse and who had gone after her once for trying to protect a friend.

"We're almost there," Vince said, "Just up ahead."

"I'm going to park just short of the motel and turn off the lights," Matt said, "I don't want him to know we're here."

Vince nodded and the car stopped. Both men grabbed their guns and left the car heading stealthily up to the motel. They saw a car ahead which matched one that had been reported stolen two days before; its owner found dead from beaten by a tire iron.

"He's here somewhere…and so is C.J.," Matt said, as they entered the parking lot which was dimly lit, staying in the shadows.

Vince peered ahead.

"I see the motel room but we need to wait for backup…hey…"

Matt didn't bother, sprinting towards the room that had been checked out to Grant, and saw that the door looked wide open. He put his gun up as he neared the room while Vince followed behind him. Matt moved to the opposite side of the doorway and they both looked inside.

The room looked empty so they proceeded and saw what looked like clothing worn by C.J. and they looked at each other. They saw the setup of the table and one chair toppled on the floor.

"They were both here…what happened?"

Vince looked over at Matt who looked agitated but kept himself in check. But Vince knew if Matt reached Grant before he did, Grant was definitely a dead man.

Matt noticed something on the carpet near the door and bent over.

"There's blood…"

"But whose," Vince asked, "I think C.J. ran out the door and he followed her."

Matt guessed that too and headed outside again, running ahead into a clearing and then looking around him. All that met him was the still of darkness, where had the two of them gone?

C.J. held her breath as long as she could because Grant had taken to circling the brush around where she hid. He must realize she had to be hiding in the vicinity and if he did, he'd find her so she had to be ready to fight back. She cautiously moved slowly in search of anything that could be used as a weapon. There were some small rocks, sticks but nothing substantial.

His feet moved again…then stopped and her heart froze. She knew he was going to start looking through the brush and her breathing again came quickly. She fought to control it as she realized he had knelt to look underneath the brush that hid her. When he got too close, she tried to curl in further but his fingers brushed her bare skin and then they curled around to reach to grab her and she suddenly kicked her feet out.

"Got you now…"

He had the sound of victory in his voice which angered her as much as it horrified her. No way was he going to pull her out so he could slice that knife through her again, this time lethally. She kept kicking as hard as she could as he tried to grab her feet and her legs, her hands reaching for any solid wood to hold onto, to resist.

He pulled and he pulled, and gradually she felt her body sliding towards him, scraping against the mud and dirt and rocks until she felt a breeze on her legs. Her arm came out and he grabbed it trying to pull her on her feet, while swinging the blade towards her.

But her arm blocked it, because she reacted quickly and he growled in frustration as the fight against them intensified.

Matt and Vince looked around furiously in the darkness and then they heard the signs of a struggle not too far away and then a scream.

And then Matt his heart in his throat ran furiously in that direction.


	35. Chapter 35

Another installment up, thanks for reading and the feedback!

* * *

C.J. found herself in the position of having to decide whether to win or lose this fight. Grant had pulled her out from beneath the brush and none of her kicking and attempts to hit him had stopped him. He still had the knife and was trying to get himself in a vantage point to use it against her one last time. But each time he got close…somehow she found the strength to wrestle it away, not the knife from his hand but from a position where it could do lethal damage.

"You're going to die…."

The words angered her more than they scared her as he did at this point. She had spent too much time being scared of him the past few days since he decided to mess with her life again. But she had it with him or anyone who tried to dominate her will, to get her to bend to some craziness. She knew who she was and she knew herself to be a strong and determined woman, some might call her stubborn or willful and she had been called much worse. But she had been a fighter too whether for herself or just as often, the people that she loved. Including the one out looking for her now, the one she didn't want to find her bleeding to death from a killer's knife.

The one who had given her a dozen roses when they met up after they had been separated by his military obligations and her law training and she came to work with him and who had made the time they spent together accomplishing their business goals and now branching off in a new and exciting direction the most exciting period of her life. He had fought hard to come back from his injuries and she had watched that struggle herself. Fighting his way back to getting his physical agility and strength back and fighting some difficult demons without turning to drink as some might have done and he had been there for her when she needed him.

And she knew right now he was out there trying to do whatever it took to find her. She trusted in his investigative skills because she had seen him use them to help his friends. But in the meantime, she had to fight to save herself.

Just that thought filled her with more resolve even though her body felt tired, her muscles cramped and her head aching. His knife came oh so close to a vital part of her body several times and she gritted her teeth to push it away from her. Matt had taught her well during those training sessions, not just in terms of physical defense moves but in what he told her that she had the mental skills and toughness to put her new skills to good use.

To have faith in them and herself and to not let one past incident of violence determine the outcome of any others.

"Stop moving…."

His voice sounded more jagged, his breath more hurried and she knew his own strength had been finite. Maybe he had been running on fumes the past few days relentlessly tracking her down to put his plan into action. She pushed harder to get him off of her and use the strength in her hips and he rolled over finally which brought her on top of him. She hoped to use that to get away from him again but he held tightly onto her and the knife which she felt scraping at her clothes or skin while struggling against him. She had to keep it from her, from making that lethal strike before she saw it coming.

"Let go of me…"

But he refused to do that, and she wondered how much longer the both of them would be able to fight.

* * *

Matt had heard a scream which he knew to be C.J.'s and his heart beat quickened.

"Vince…where did it come from," he asked, breathlessly.

He thought he had been able to pinpoint it when he first heard it but it grew quiet again. Vince looked around for any signs of anything.

"Let's try ahead," he said, "There's a lot of brush over there."

The two men ran in that direction with their guns out, Matt's heart in his throat, praying that they would get to C.J. in time. Not that he would allow himself to consider any other outcome.

Their footfalls sounded through the forest that had shrouded Mt. Wilbert and their flashlights only revealed a small area several feet in front of them. It surely was densely packed, the foliage in these woods, Matt thought, a perfect place for a killer to stalk but also not a bad setting for a victim to hide from him.

They heard a crashing noise and ran towards it, sprinting as fast as they could move.

"C.J…."

Matt yelled her name over and over.

She heard it too and her heart swelled again.

"I'm over…."

Grant had tried to move against her with the knife again even as she had pressed her weight against him in an attempt to get him to loosen his hold on her but he used his greater strength to try to get an advantage flipping her over again, though her body pinned his hand holding the knife. She started hitting at him over and over, striking his face where it had been bleeding.

He yelped and it motivated her to strike even harder, to daze him before he could pull the knife from under her. And then she put her strength into a final move against him, and she managed to push him off of her and over on the ground where he seemed stunned by her action.

But not long enough.

She got in a crouching position and he grabbed the knife to move against her, but the blood in his eyes blocked his vision. He moved forward and she shifted to the side and twisted getting on her feet to run away, without looking where she was going. She ran a few yards on instinct until…

Smack right into a solid object. She thought at first it had been a tree but no, it yielded and suddenly she felt some arms wrapping around her and a very familiar voice in her ear.

"Hey there…it's okay…"

She looked up to see that Matt had caught her.

"He's…"

She had twisted her head around and Grant lunged forward towards them with the knife almost as if he were an animal. Matt being to move C.J. behind him, reaching for his gun.

But Vince had already gone into police mode, ordering him to put down the weapon to avoid getting shot. C.J. didn't think Grant would obey any commands at him at this point.

And he didn't so Vince pressed the trigger three times and by the second hit, Grant went down on the ground with a thud finally letting go of the knife. Still Vince approached very carefully and looked him over.

"He's dead Houston…"

C.J. finally sighed in relief, her adrenalin ebbing finally and she felt like sinking to the ground but Matt grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her as she buried her head into his shoulder.

"God I thought…"

She pulled away and looked up at him.

"I remembered what you told me Houston…I wasn't going to let him take from me anymore…"

He looked her over frowning.

"You're bleeding…"

She looked over at her shoulder.

"Yeah I guess I am," she said, "and I've got a hell of a headache."

He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her and looked at Vince.

"She needs a doctor…"

Vince looked up.

"They're sending an EMT to take her in," he said, "and some deputies and even state police to deal with him…The FBI's been called too, he's wanted for questioning in about six states…but I guess that's a moot point now."

Matt knew that when he died, perhaps the answers to the questions being asked by families with missing women would remain unanswered. They might never know the extent of Grant's murderous spree.

But right now his attention focused on the woman in his arms who started shivering against him as her body started coming down from its life and death experience.

"Are you okay," he asked gently.

And then thought to himself, a stupid question but he had been so damn scared and now she was back safely with him, wounded a bit but alive.

Still she looked up at him and tried to smile.

"I am now…"

* * *

Matt had paced at the medical clinic while she had been examined. X-rays were needed for her head and her knife wound, though fairly superficial had to be sewn up. Vince brought him some coffee in the small waiting room.

"This is quite an impressive facility for a small town," he said, "Some kids who grew up here went to medical school here and brought their skills back home for a change."

Matt agreed, as the clinic clearly had been state of the art and the medical staff had been very attentive to C.J. when she had been brought inside, the doctors kind and patient with a very concerned and somewhat assertive man.

"So has Grant been picked up?"

Vince nodded.

"He's going to the morgue until he can be transported to the L.A. Coroner's office. They found some evidence in the motel room and car that can go towards answering some questions about him, after his death."

Matt nodded and then he sipped his coffee as they waited for news on C.J.'s condition.

* * *

She of course sat on the examination stretcher in the ER dressed in one of those ridiculous paper gowns. Why on earth couldn't they make them a little less revealing, of course maybe they were supposed to look that way to dissuade people like her from trying to make a quick getaway because seriously all she wanted to do was get out of here and go back to the cabin.

Her head hurt, her shoulder stung and getting it stitched hadn't been a fun exercise but really she was much better now.

"Sit still young lady," the doctor ordered, "I have to put a bandage on the shoulder to remind you not to mess with my needlework."

"I promised I would take it easy…"

The doctor looked skeptical.

"I heard you travel with some guy who's been in and out of most every emergency room in L.A. County and should come with a warning label."

She furrowed her brow.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration don't you think?"

He just sighed and then left her to go look at the films they took of her head. She hoped they were clean because she didn't want to get stuck in a hospital bed for even one night. Seriously, she just wanted to go back to the cabin away from all this, not to mention the police who had tried to question her before the doctor kicked them out.

He returned a couple of minutes later and just eyed her critically.

"You've got a minor concussion and I'm tempted to keep you over night but if you take some precautions and some medication, I'll release you."

She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks…"

She jumped off the table but he put his hand up.

"Wait, I have a list of instructions for you to follow young lady…"

She sighed, putting her escape on hold for a couple more minutes while he handed her a sheet and read out loud from another one. She then changed out of the horrid gown into some sweat suit the police had brought her which at least felt comfortable. Then she said goodbye to the doctor and left the room to find Matt and get the hell out of here.

But when she hit the lobby, she found out that he wasn't there alone as the police were waiting there to ask questions. She walked over and looked at them, suddenly feeling very tired. Matt looked at her and then back at the officers.

"This can wait can't it," he said, "I need to get her back to the cabin."

One of the detectives appeared to think about that but another sighed.

"This won't take very long…"

But both Matt and C.J. knew better but she sat down in the worn chair and prepared for the onslaught of questions while Matt sat with her, his arm wrapped around her.


	36. Chapter 36

The final installment is up, thanks for reading and the feedback on this story! Hope you enjoyed it.

* * *

C.J. sat out by the lake, reading her novel having snuck out of the cabin while Matt had been doing his training run down into the arryo. She had watched him leave after tossing him a water bottle and wishing him well. Then as soon as he had been out of sight, she had changed her clothes and headed off to relax and leave the hard exertion to others for a change.

She sat alone because Vince had been busy overseeing the LAPD's share of determining the fate of the still ongoing investigation of Grant Sullivan and his actions in the years preceding his death. Vince had also gone before a board of inquiry concerning onduty shootings but thanks to sworn statements offered by Matt and her, he had been exonerated.

Mama still ran the cabin for him while he commuted back and forth from L.A. to the mountains but today was Saturday and later, Vince and Mama and the rest of their brood would be dropping by for a barbecue, the last one before Matt and C.J. would be packing up after their vacation and heading back to L.A.

The last few days of it had been much quieter than the nightmarish night which had preceded it. Matt had made sure that she had followed the doctor's sheet of orders to the letter and at one point, she had nearly sent him packing . Man, he sure could be bossy but she knew he was just looking out for her while she recovered. The concussion stopped hurting after a few days and she regained her strength back soon enough. Not enough to take on another maniacal killer perhaps but enough to at least get Matt to cut some slack though he might think the leisurely walk she just took to get here might be too strenuous. She braced herself for that upcoming conversation.

Murray had called to check in but Matt must have had a long talk with him because he didn't fax any more work but did say he'd be happy to see them back to work in a few days. And yes, C.J. would be confined to desk duty for a week, she thought with a grimace.

But she had other plans as well because she and Matt had spent the past couple of days talking, her brush with death having a big impact on both of them. He said he was going to call a realtor to shop for a spread out in the valley near Hidden Hills to live and maybe do some ranching albeit on a smaller scale than back in Texas. She had liked the sound of that a lot and soon enough, the realtor had called him back and told him the famed actress Ramona Launders who hadn't worked in a while but had been thinking about going back. He had even called Bo and Lamar his old ranch hands in Texas to fly out and help him inspect the land to see if it would be suitable and the two of them had packed up their truck and were already heading to California.

As for her, she thought that getting back to work was enough for her but she hoped that she and Matt would be able to spend more time on their fledgling investigative firm given that the cases had begun coming in since their first couple had turned out so successful. Word had definitely been getting around that they were among the best firm in L.A.

Julia had called her and said that the police had finally left her alone and that she and her family would return to working hard on their foundation and that she would be flying out to L.A. soon to pay a visit. C.J. looked forward to that definitely thrilled that Julia's health appeared to be quite good.

She heard footsteps come up behind her and she almost braced until she remembered. A familiar enough man came and sat beside her and she looked over at him.

"Houston if you're going to lecture me about…"

He held up his hand.

"Wait just a sec here C.J. I've got no plans to do any such thing," he said, "After all, I know what you went through the past weeks just to keep me in line and I have some understanding now of what that must have been like."

She softened.

"Oh Houston, we're both okay now and that's the important thing."

He nodded and reached for her hand taking it in his own.

"I've really enjoyed this vacation…most of it and I think we should do this more often."

She nodded back, certainly amiable to that because she had loved spending time with her best friend and even though they had known each other for years, they still learned new things about each other and their friendship had grown.

"Oh Crystal called by the way," C.J. remembered, "She's waiting for you to call her back about some Tom Petty concert?"

He paused and then sighed.

"Oh that," he said, "I guess I'll have to get back to her but we've got a full load of cases waiting when we return…and then I think I'm going to buy that ranch. Ramona's an old friend of my fathers and I don't think she'd steer me wrong."

C.J. smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Oh that will be nice and with Bo and Lamar…it will be like having a little Texas here."

His smile broadened.

"Oh it's going to be more than that…I'm shipping in a few more folks like Slim and Charlie Eagle and some horses and…"

C.J. laughed, as she sat with him and listened to his plans for the future thinking it just didn't get any better than this.


End file.
